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

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

See Examples For:

koala koalas

Earlier studies had concluded that koala populations declined after modern humans arrived in Australia about 65,000 years ago.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Researchers then applied the newly measured rate to 457 koala genomes.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

This gave them a more accurate way to trace how koala populations expanded, contracted and separated over thousands of years.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Buc-ee’s also sued Georgia-based Teddy’s Market this year over its koala bear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

In Australia, there are exotic flowers, kite races, and complimentary koala plush toys for any children.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

By examining how koalas responded to earlier population crashes and recoveries, scientists may be able to develop better conservation strategies for protecting the species today.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

This allowed them to calculate a precise mutation rate for koalas, which was about half the rate found in humans.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

The work represents the first direct estimate of a mutation rate for koalas or for any member of the marsupial order Diprotodontia, which also includes wombats, kangaroos and possums.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

A largely sedentary and inflexible creature, dependent on eucalyptus leaves for much of their water, koalas quickly develop dehydration when hotter conditions persist.

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