kangaroo

IPA/ˌkæŋɡəˈruː/
KK[kˌæŋɡɚˈu]IPA/ˌkæŋɡəˈruː/

kangaroo — noun

  • kangaroosingular
  • kangaroosplural

1. A large Australian animal that moves by jumping on its strong back legs. It has

1.nounB1
Definition

A large Australian animal that moves by jumping on its strong back legs. It has a long thick tail, short front legs, and a pouch on the front of its body where the female carries its baby.

Example

A kangaroo can cover more than eight metres in a single jump.

collocation: cover / metres in a single jump

The Watanabe family spotted a mob of kangaroos resting under the gum trees near their campsite.

collective noun: mob of kangaroos

Common collocations
  • kangaroo hops/jumps/leaps
  • kangaroo population
  • kangaroo meat
  • kangaroo leather
  • kangaroo sanctuary
  • mob of kangaroos
  • kangaroo joey
Synonyms
  • wallaby

    A smaller relative of the kangaroo. In everyday Australian English, 'wallaby' is used for the smaller species and 'kangaroo' for the larger ones.

  • marsupial

    The broader animal group that includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and wallabies. 'Kangaroo' is one specific type of marsupial.

Grammar Patterns

kangaroo + verb (singular/plural)

Usage Note

The word 'kangaroo' most often refers to the three largest Australian species: the red kangaroo, the eastern grey kangaroo, and the western grey kangaroo. Smaller related animals are usually called wallabies or tree-kangaroos.

Common Mistakes

Look at that small kangaroo in the bushes!
Look at that wallaby in the bushes!
Animals smaller than kangaroos from the same family are called wallabies in Australia.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Kangaroo, wallaby, and marsupial belong to related but distinct levels of meaning. A marsupial is any mammal that carries its young in a pouch — this group includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and Tasmanian devils. Within the marsupials, kangaroos and wallabies are both hopping macropods (meaning 'big-footed'), but kangaroos are the larger species, while wallabies are smaller. In Australia, people commonly distinguish them by size: a full-grown eastern grey kangaroo stands about as tall as a person, whereas a wallaby is much shorter. A joey is simply a baby kangaroo or wallaby. For example: 'We saw a huge red kangaroo bounding across the plain, and a little later a wallaby poked its head out of the bushes.'

kangaroo ↗wallaby ↗marsupial ↗joey ↗

Etymology

Guugu Yimidhirr (Australian Aboriginal)English

The word 'kangaroo' comes from the Guugu Yimidhirr language, spoken by Aboriginal people in northern Queensland, Australia. The original word 'gaŋurru' referred to a specific type of kangaroo. English speakers first wrote it down in 1770 during Captain Cook's voyage. Guugu Yimidhirr is still spoken by Aboriginal people in the Hopevale region of northern Queensland today.