marsupial

adjective mar·su·pi·al \ mär-ˈsü-pē-əl \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Definition of marsupial

1 : of, relating to, or being a marsupial

2 : of, relating to, or forming a marsupium

Recent Examples of marsupial from the Web

About 23 million years ago in Australia, a marsupial lion lived in the open forest and spent part of its life in trees.

— ashley strickland, CNN, "Meet the top 10 new species of 2018," 23 May 2018
Around 23 million years ago, during the late Oligocene era, this marsupial lion roamed in northwestern Queensland, Australia.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "A 62-Ton Tree and Great Ape Have Made the Top 10 New Species List," 23 May 2018
When a deputy arrived at the scene there was indeed a marsupial wandering around rural Palmetto State County.

— kathleen joyce, Fox News, "South Carolina sheriff's office responds to calls of kangaroo sighting: 'I thought dispatch was joking'," 16 May 2018
But the Rescue 11 crew from St. Tammany Parish's Fire District 1 noticed more than just a dead marsupial on Monday morning. (April 2) There were three baby opossums trying to nurse off their dead mother.

— robert rhoden, NOLA.com, "Firefighters rescue baby opossums after call on Possum Hollow Road," 2 Apr. 2018
While making a stop in Australia during his 24K Magic World Tour, Mars cuddled up alongside a koala and shared a few flirty puns that would make any marsupial-lover blush.

— maria pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Bruno Mars Tries Out Some Koala-Themed Pick-Up Lines While Struggling to Keep a Straight Face," 29 Mar. 2018
But the Tasmanian tiger, the marsupial lion and Megalania (a 1,300-pound lizard) are gone.

— erin biba, Scientific American, "Inside Australia’s War on Invasive Species," 1 Aug. 2017
But fair warning — in some cases, these packs can make their wearers look like marsupial moms carrying their little joeys to term.

— julie ma, The Cut, "10 Times Celebrities Wore Fanny Packs," 22 Feb. 2018
The beetles had made a significant ecological leap from the hard, dry nuggets of marsupial dung to which they were adapted.

— richard jones, Smithsonian, "All Praise The Humble Dung Beetle," 10 Jan. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of marsupial

borrowed from New Latin marsūpiālis — more at ²marsupial

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1819

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

marsupial

noun

Definition of marsupial

: any of an order (Marsupialia) of mammals comprising kangaroos, wombats, bandicoots, opossums, and related animals that do not develop a true placenta and that usually have a pouch on the abdomen of the female which covers the teats and serves to carry the young

See marsupial defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of marsupial from the Web

The changes ban, among other animals, goats, insects, reptiles, snakes, spiders and sugar gliders, which are tiny marsupials that are considered exotic pets.

— catharine hamm, latimes.com, "American Airlines also tightening rules on emotional support animals, it explains on its podcast," 22 May 2018
One pooch found antechinus species in the Scenic Rim, an area that hadn't seen the marsupial since the late 1980s, Baker says.

— kelly murray, CNN, "These Aussie marsupials are having so much sex they are literally killing themselves," 15 May 2018
As humans chop down trees, the furry marsupials are losing their habitat.

— kelly murray, CNN, "These Aussie marsupials are having so much sex they are literally killing themselves," 15 May 2018
In another picture, a shorts-clad tourist found himself on the receiving end of a marsupial's powerful kick, as two other kangaroos looked on.

— amy b wang, chicagotribune.com, "Please stop feeding the kangaroos - or risk getting mauled, Australian officials warn tourists," 3 May 2018
One of the Mansfields' neighbors, Mike Vicars, also caught video of the marsupials.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Mystery solved after an odd string of 'kangaroo' sightings down under in Texas | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 5 May 2018
Michelle Shaw, a nutritionist at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, said the kangaroos had likely become addicted to the carrots, a high-sugar food that is bad for the marsupials.

— will ziebell, Anchorage Daily News, "Carrot-craving kangaroos are attacking tourists in Australia," 3 May 2018
The marsupial died after a few days after suffering a ruptured kidney, the report said.

— Fox News, "Kangaroo in zoo dies after being pelted by bricks from tourists trying to see it hop: report," 20 Apr. 2018
For those who happen to be fans of both Bruno Mars and marsupials, prepare for your hearts to melt.

— abby jones, Billboard, "Bruno Mars Gets Coy With a Koala in Instagram Video: Watch," 29 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of marsupial

from the base of New Latin Marsupialia, order name, from neuter plural of marsūpiālis "of a pouch," from marsūpium "pouch, marsupium" + -ālis ¹-al

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1805

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

MARSUPIAL Defined for English Language Learners

marsupial

noun

Definition of marsupial for English Language Learners

: a type of animal (such as a kangaroo or an opossum) that carries its babies in a pocket of skin on the mother's stomach

MARSUPIAL Defined for Kids

marsupial

noun mar·su·pi·al \ mär-ˈsü-pē-əl \

Definition of marsupial for Students

: a mammal (as a kangaroo or opossum) that does not develop a true placenta and usually has a pouch on the female's abdomen in which the young develop and are carried

Learn More about marsupial

Spanish Central: Translation of marsupial Nglish: Translation of marsupial for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marsupial

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