kangaroo

American  

[kang-guh-roo] / ˌkæŋ gəˈru /

noun

• kangaroos,
  plural
• kangaroo
  plural

1. any herbivorous marsupial of the family Macropodidae, of Australia and adjacent islands, having a small head, short forelimbs, powerful hind legs used for leaping, and a long, thick tail: several species are threatened or endangered.

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kangaroo British  

/ ˌkæŋɡəˈruː /

noun

1. any large herbivorous marsupial of the genus Macropus and related genera, of Australia and New Guinea, having large powerful hind legs, used for leaping, and a long thick tail: family Macropodidae See also rat kangaroo tree kangaroo

2. (usually plural) stock exchange an Australian share, esp in mining, land, or a tobacco company

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verb

1. informal (of a car) to move forward or to cause (a car) to move forward with short sudden jerks, as a result of improper use of the clutch

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kangaroo-like
  adjective
• kangaroolike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kangaroo
  plural
• kangaroos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kangaroo

First recorded in 1760–70; from Guugu Yimidhirr (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around Cooktown, northern Queensland) gaŋ-urru, a large black or gray species of kangaroo

Compare meaning

How does kangaroo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wallaby vs. kangaroo

Explanation

A kangaroo is a large animal that leaps or springs on its big, strong back legs and uses its heavy tail for balance. If you visit Australia (or the zoo), you may see a kangaroo. Kangaroos are known for their habits of sitting upright and springing great distances. Female kangaroos have pouches in which they carry their babies. The word kangaroo is thought to come from a now-extinct Aboriginal language's word for a specific kind of kangaroo, gaNurru or gang-oo-roo. A "kangaroo court" is one that operates outside of the law, often with the intention of quickly (and unjustly) trying someone for a crime.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kangaroo kangaroos

“This works very well with the flavor of kangaroo and adds color and vibrancy to the dish.”

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

But missing from the line up is the original figure of the young kangaroo, called Roo, which the library says was lost in the 1930s.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

These were probably giant kangaroo rats, a native species whose numbers have been growing since their listing as an endangered species in 1987.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

The head and raised arms of a doll stick out of the left side of the hoodie’s kangaroo pocket.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

This was a deer mouse, a little creature with big eyes and long hind legs like a miniature kangaroo.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

Employees routinely took newborn kangaroos, wildcats and goats home overnight to provide round-the-clock feeding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Eastern grey kangaroos are an Australian species that helps maintain healthy ecosystems for other animals, insects and plants.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Video showed the critter nervously perched on a shelf, seamlessly blending in with the toy kangaroos and bears.

From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026

To explore how these massive animals moved, Megan Jones and her colleagues examined the hindlimbs of 94 modern specimens and 40 fossil specimens representing 63 species of kangaroos and wallabies.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 23, 2026

We pick our books back up and return to Ma-Jell-O, to de Soda, to Captain James Cook and his restaurant for kangaroos.

From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin