koala

American  

[koh-ah-luh] / koʊˈɑ lə /

noun

1. a sluggish, tailless, gray, furry, arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, of Australia.

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koala British  

/ kəʊˈɑːlə /

noun

1. Also called (Austral): native bear.  a slow-moving Australian arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctus cinereus, having dense greyish fur and feeding on eucalyptus leaves and bark

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Etymology

Origin of koala

1800–10; erroneous spelling for earlier koola ( h ) (now obsolete) < Dharuk gú-la

Example Sentences

An Australian dog credited with saving over 100 koalas from bushfires is retiring after a decade of service.

From Barron's

Photos from that time show her posing with a kangaroo and a wombat and being embraced by a giant koala.

From The Wall Street Journal

A new genomic study of koala populations in Australia suggests that rapid population growth may help restore genetic variation that was lost during past declines.

From Science Daily

Other countries use animals as tools of diplomacy, including Thailand with its elephants and Australia with its koalas, he added.

From Barron's

“Think how you’ll grieve for all you’ll leave behind,” she sings to a herd of otters, koalas, flamingos, giraffes, bunnies and kangaroos fleeing Oz for the safety of the Yellow Brick Underground Railroad.

From Los Angeles Times