joey

¹ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

Australian.

plural

joeys

1. any young animal, especially a kangaroo.

2. a young child.

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joey ² American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

British Slang.

plural

joeys

1. a threepenny piece.

2. (formerly) a fourpenny piece.

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Joey ³ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

plural

Joeys

1. a clown, especially in the circus or pantomime and puppet theater.

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Joey ⁴ American  

[joh-ee] / ˈdʒoʊ i /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Joe or Joseph.

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joey British  

/ ˈdʒəʊɪ /

noun

1. a young kangaroo or possum

2. a young animal or child

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Etymology

Origin of joey¹

First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain

Origin of joey²

First recorded in 1860–65; named after Joseph Hume (1777–1855), English politician who favored the coinage of the fourpenny piece

Origin of Joey³

1895–1900; diminutive of Joseph, after Joseph Grimaldi

Example Sentences

One evening, the joey turned playful, mimicking every move of its mother.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

Edwardsville law enforcement and animal control from nearby Bonner Springs responded to calls about the unusual highway sight of a joey, which some mistook for a wallaby.

From Washington Times • Jun. 30, 2023

In the pouch, the joey attaches to its mother in order to nurse and continues developing for the next six months, the zoo said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2023

Born after about 35 days, a joey uses its sense of smell and strong front legs with claws to climb up its mother’s fur into her downward-facing pouch.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2023

"Done for another joey," replied Buster, with the premature acuteness of youth foraging for itself in the streets of London.

From M. or N. "Similia similibus curantur." by Whyte-Melville, G.J.