wallaroo
noun
called also euro
Did you know?
Wallaroos are indeed a kind of kangaroo. That term in its broadest usage refers to any member of the family Macropodidae - which comprises more than 50 species. More specifically, though, "kangaroo" refers to the eastern gray kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo, the red kangaroo, and to the three animals known also as "wallaroos." Like the animals to which they refer, the words "wallaroo" and "kangaroo" are native to Australia. "Wallaroo" is from Dharuk, an Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area; "kangaroo" is from Guugu Yimidhirr, an Australian aboriginal language of northern Queensland. Also from Dharuk is the word wallaby, which refers to small or medium-sized kangaroos, especially those of the genus Macropus.
Examples of wallaroo in a Sentence
Jack Guy, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
One species of kangaroo, a black wallaroo, is listed as near threatened, according to Bush Heritage Australia.
—Makiya Seminera, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024
An orphaned baby wallaroo is getting round-the-clock care at the Oakland Zoo after his mum died from an infection.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Wallaroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallaroo. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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