koala

noun ko·ala \ kə-ˈwä-lə , kō-ˈä- \

Updated on: 27 Apr 2018

Definition of koala

: an Australian arboreal marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has a broad head, large hairy ears, dense gray fur, and sharp claws and feeds on eucalyptus leaves — called also koala bear

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Recent Examples of koala from the Web

For over two decades, scientists have brought wild koalas into wildlife hospitals to treat their chlamydia with antibiotics.

— National Geographic, "As Koalas Suffer From Chlamydia, A New Clue For Treatment," 14 Apr. 2018
Burley, a nine-year-old koala from the San Diego Zoo, recently flew to New York with three zoo staff members for several media appearances, including one at The Wall Street Journal.

— clare ansberry, WSJ, "Sloths Hot, Armadillos Not: Zoos Seek Affection for Overlooked Species," 29 Mar. 2018
The latter can be viewed up close during a koala encounter, which costs $24.95 for a ticket that permits up to four people to take selfies with the animal.

— andrea rumbaugh, Houston Chronicle, "See unusual animals at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia," 12 Feb. 2018
The animals there are interesting, too, like kangaroos, koala bears and platypuses.

— todd shields, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Tyler Hoffman, a Barrington eighth grader competing in National Geographic's statewide bee," 22 Mar. 2018
Australia is full of cute animals—wombats, bandicoots, potoroos, echidnas, wallabies, platypuses, quokkas and koalas just to name a few.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "The Super-cute Eastern Quoll Returns to Mainland Australia," 16 Mar. 2018
Smith also got a close look at a snake and talked to a koala.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Will Smith is having so much fun in Australia, from watching tennis to holding a wombat," 19 Jan. 2018
Wildlife groups have been actively spraying down koalas that are perched in trees.

— National Geographic, "Bats Are Boiling Alive in Australia's Heat Wave," 9 Jan. 2018
Loss of habitat has brought many species, including the koala, to the brink of extinction.

— The Economist, "Felled trees and muddy watersQueensland is one of the world’s worst places for deforestation," 24 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'koala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Origin and Etymology of koala

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) gula, gulawanʸ

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First Known Use: 1802

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KOALA Defined for English Language Learners

koala

noun

Definition of koala for English Language Learners

: an Australian animal that has thick gray fur, large hairy ears, sharp claws for climbing, and no tail

KOALA Defined for Kids

koala

noun ko·ala \ kō-ˈä-lə \

Definition of koala for Students

: a tailless Australian animal with thick fur and big hairy ears, sharp claws for climbing, and a pouch like the kangaroo's for carrying its young

History for koala

The word koala was taken from a language called Dharuk, spoken by the native Australian people who lived around what is today Sydney, Australia, when the first Europeans landed there in 1788. The word was first written koolah, which was probably closer to the way it was pronounced in Dharuk. The spelling koala—which came to be read as three syllables rather than two—may originally have been someone's misspelling of the word.

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See words that rhyme with koala Spanish Central: Translation of koala Nglish: Translation of koala for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about koala

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