kangaroo

noun

kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü How to pronounce kangaroo (audio)
plural kangaroos
: any of various herbivorous leaping marsupial mammals (family Macropodidae) of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands with a small head, large ears, long powerful hind legs, a long thick tail used as a support and in balancing, and rather small forelegs not used in locomotion

Illustration of kangaroo

Illustration of kangaroo

Examples of kangaroo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Video shows Chesney, a beloved 16-month-old kangaroo, being found safe after going missing from a Wisconsin petting zoo for three days. Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026 The team caught up with Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped away — once by jumping into a cold river — and Johnson lost track on the drone. John O'Connor, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026 The kangaroo lives with his keeper Debbie Marland at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, approximately 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 How does a kangaroo escape a petting zoo? CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kangaroo

Word History

Etymology

Guugu Yimidhirr (Australian aboriginal language of northern Queensland) gaŋurru

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kangaroo was in 1770

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kangaroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kangaroo. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

kangaroo

noun
kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü How to pronounce kangaroo (audio)
plural kangaroos
: any of numerous leaping marsupial mammals of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands that feed on plants and have a small head, long powerful hind legs, a long thick tail used as a support in standing or walking, and in the female a pouch on the abdomen in which the young are carried

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