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galah

[ guh-lah ]
/ gəˈlɑ /
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noun
an Australian cockatoo, Kakatoe roseicapilla, having rose-colored underparts.
Australian. a fool.
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
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Origin of galah

First recorded in 1885–90; from Yuwaalaraay (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken near Lightning Ridge, northern New South Wales) gilā

Words nearby galah

galactosan, galactoscope, galactose, galactosemia, galago, galah, Galahad, Galahad, Sir, galah session, galangal, galant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use galah in a sentence

  • One had brought the pink feathers of a Galah, which had been stuck here and there amongst the twigs.

    Dot and the Kangaroo|Ethel C. Pedley

  • Chop-chop means "very fast;" maskee, "don't mind;" Topside Galah, "Excelsior, hurrah!"

    Across America|James F. Rusling

  • One called by a name approximating to galah-fish is found in Malyan waters, viz.

    The Bbur-nma in English|Babur, Emperor of Hindustan

British Dictionary definitions for galah

galah
/ (ɡəˈlɑː) /
noun
an Australian cockatoo, Kakatoe roseicapilla, having grey wings, back, and crest and a pink body
Australian slang a fool or simpleton

Word Origin for galah

C19: from a native Australian language
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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