koala

American  

[koh-ah-luh] / koʊˈɑ lə /

noun

• koalas
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• koalas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of koala

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

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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

See Examples For:

koala koalas

"We know how critical it is to have a highly skilled koala detection dog back in the field, helping protect one of Australia's most iconic species," Sharrad said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Bear surrendered his collar in March after a decade of being a very good boy as one of the first dogs in the country to be trained to detect the scent of koala fur.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Ewan joined him for the last stint in Yeovil and said she cannot wait to see koala bears in real life.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

The new analysis suggests that a major koala population decline began around 100,000 years ago.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

He looked like a cuddly koala bear with muscles.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

"With El Nino already here and a tough summer on the horizon, our koalas will need all the help they can get, whether it comes on two legs or four."

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The most effective strategy involved sterilizing about 22% of adult female koalas each year in areas with the highest population densities rather than applying the approach across the entire region.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

The study estimates that the koala population in South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges now accounts for about 10% of all koalas in Australia.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

Mella said that protecting large, shade-producing trees or providing access to water during heatwaves could help reduce dehydration risk among koalas.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

But, unlike koalas and monarch butterflies, omnivores not only can eat different foods, we need to eat a variety of foods to stay healthy.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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