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• joey
  joey

  noun

  any young animal, especially a kangaroo.
• Joey
  Joey

  noun

  a clown, especially in the circus or pantomime and puppet theater.

joey

¹ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

Australian.

plural

joeys

1. any young animal, especially a kangaroo.

2. a young child.

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joey ² American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

British Slang.

plural

joeys

1. a threepenny piece.

2. (formerly) a fourpenny piece.

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Joey ³ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

plural

Joeys

1. a clown, especially in the circus or pantomime and puppet theater.

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Joey ⁴ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Joe or Joseph.

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joey British  

/ ˈdʒəʊɪ /

noun

1. a young kangaroo or possum

2. a young animal or child

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Etymology

Origin of joey¹

First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain

Origin of joey²

First recorded in 1860–65; named after Joseph Hume (1777–1855), English politician who favored the coinage of the fourpenny piece

Origin of Joey³

1895–1900; diminutive of Joseph, after Joseph Grimaldi

Explanation

A baby kangaroo, koala, and opossum are all known as a joey. Nearly all marsupial mothers carry their joeys in a handy pouch on the front of their bodies. The most well-known joeys are probably tiny kangaroos, but the term applies to all newborn marsupials. Tasmanian devils, wallabies, and wombats fall into this category, and they also tote their joeys around in pouches or pouch-like folds in their abdomens. Etymologists know this word joey first appeared in the early 19th century, but its origin remains a mystery.

Example Sentences

One of the impressive young players was freshman Joey Koenig, who showed he can hit and will get a chance to pitch in the future.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

They paved the way for modern examples such as Adam Dunn and Joey Gallo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Saugus 8, Hart 6: Joey Nuttall had three hits and four RBIs for Saugus, including a home run.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The footwear company was founded in 2015 by a former football player Tim Brown and a clean-technology businessman Joey Zwillinger.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

And Joey would look all cool and say, “Nah.”

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli