marsupial

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

Updated on: 15 Apr 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

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
The tiger, or thylacine, was the world’s largest marsupial carnivore.

— rob taylor, WSJ, "Devil’s in the DNA: The Tasmanian Tiger’s Demise Is a Tale of Bad Genes," 11 Dec. 2017
The animal is the Leadbeater’s possum, an adorable little marsupial native to the acacia forests of central Victoria in Australia.

— National Geographic, "'Forest Fairy' Joins as 7,000th Animal in Nat Geo's Photo Ark," 14 Sep. 2017
Two branches of modern mammals developed gliding at least 100 million years later, leading to today's marsupial sugar gliders and flying squirrels.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Exceptional Fossils Show Ancient Winged Mammals May Have Glided Above the Dinosaurs," 10 Aug. 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1819

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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

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
The nocturnal marsupials feed on insects, small mammals, birds, and reptiles.

— National Geographic, "Cat-Size Marsupials Reintroduced to Australia's Mainland for First Time," 15 Mar. 2018
Being marsupials, the mother opossums will carry their young for several months, so the babies may start roaming the woods and our yards in May. Mid-May to June will be the debut for fawns.

— paige fumo fox, Daily Southtown, "Need a cuteness fix? Where to spy, sometimes pet, baby animals," 26 Mar. 2018
We were taken by 4WD off the main track to some of the best locations for spotting possums, wombats and marsupials that are usually too shy to surface.

— catherine ridha, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Remote Valley is Australia's Best Kept Secret," 21 Mar. 2018
The opossum is the only marsupial in North America.

— cheryl conley, Houston Chronicle, "Totally awesome opossum help us fight bugs, snakes," 20 Mar. 2018
Many view the marsupials as pests which destroy pasture and cause crashes by hopping in front of cars.

— The Economist, "The culling of kangaroos divides Australia," 15 Mar. 2018
Tuesday marked the first time Eastern quolls, a species of small Australian marsupial, have been returned to the wild.

— National Geographic, "Cat-Size Marsupials Reintroduced to Australia's Mainland for First Time," 15 Mar. 2018
Allen had used testosterone levels to track pregnancies in the tree-loving marsupials.

— National Geographic, "99% of These Sea Turtles Are Turning Female—Here’s Why," 8 Jan. 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

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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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Origin and Etymology of marsupial

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Origin and Etymology of marsupial

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