koala

American  

[koh-ah-luh] / koʊˈɑ lə /

noun

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of koala

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

Explanation

A koala is a small Australian animal that lives primarily in trees and is often mistaken for a bear. Koalas, not bears at all, are actually related to kangaroos. Koalas, like their kangaroo cousins, are marsupials, animals that carry their young in pouches. They do resemble bears, with their round bodies and ears, thick gray fur, stubby tails, and bear-like behavior. The name koala comes from the Australian Aboriginal language Dharug, in which this animal is called a gula. Koalas are famous for eating eucalyptus leaves and being generally adorable.

Example Sentences

He also features in a "dogumentary" called "Bear: Koala Hero", and in a book, "Bear to the Rescue".

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

And they’re like, “May I have a bowl of cereal,” which is usually organic — Koala Crisp is what I think it’s called.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024

Koala the elephant, now more than 60 years old, was rescued from a Sao Paulo circus in the 1990s.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2023

An American tourist has been filmed helping a woman fend off an aggressive kangaroo in Western Australia’s Cohunu Koala Park.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2023

Here he happened upon Koala, who was softly grumbling to himself while waddling from one tree to another.

From Finn The Wolfhound by Buxton, Robert Hugh