Definition of marsupial
1 : of, relating to, or being a marsupial
2 : of, relating to, or forming a marsupium
From the M-W Editors
Recent Examples of marsupial from the Web
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Toogie, an 18-year-old sulcata tortoise, will be on hand too, as will Ham the fainting goat and a host of other mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even a marsupial or two.
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A University of Akron Police report says the costumes went missing May 12 between midnight and about 4 p.m. University of Akron Police began investigating the case of the missing marsupial costumes after a report was filed Thursday.
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The jacket was a smothering embrace, like a marsupial pouch I was born into and had no desire to crawl out of.
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Marsupial lions belong to an extinct prehistoric family that is most closely related to modern koalas and wombats.
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
marsupial
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
Recent Examples of marsupial from the Web
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There are three kinds of mammals: egg-laying monotremes such as the platypus, marsupials like kangaroos and opossums, and the majority—placental, or eutherian, mammals—including humans and about 4400 other mammal species.
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Next to the jumping marsupial is the sign for Launch Trampoline Park, a new business hoping to grab the attention of families looking for a place to burn off some energy.
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Guillermo D’Elia, a biologist at the Austral University of Chile in Valdivia, says there are likely more marsupials to be identified.
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Once numerous across Tasmania, the doglike marsupial was branded a sheep killer by colonists in the 1830s and hunted to extinction.
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.
MARSUPIAL Defined for English Language Learners
marsupial
Definition of marsupial for English Language Learners
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: 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
playDefinition 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
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Spanish Central: Translation of marsupial Nglish: Translation of marsupial for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marsupial
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