kangaroo
any herbivorous marsupial of the family Macropodidae, of Australia and adjacent islands, having a small head, short forelimbs, powerful hind legs used for leaping, and a long, thick tail: several species are threatened or endangered.
Origin of kangaroo
1Other words from kangaroo
- kan·ga·roo·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use kangaroo in a sentence
Kangaroos and other animals were seldom or never found there: they abounded usually in the more scrubby country.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont | Louis de RougemontSnakes, lizards—ay, even the biggest kangaroos—succumbed after an ineffectual struggle.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont | Louis de RougemontHe had shown the former how to spear kangaroos, he still exists and inspires poets.
Myth, Ritual, and Religion, Vol. 1 | Andrew LangWhy this should be so it is difficult to explain, for the kangaroos have many points of remarkable interest.
Little Folks (November 1884) | VariousWith respect to the old kangaroos, their eyes and face are simply atrocious in their repulsive ugliness.
British Dictionary definitions for kangaroo
/ (ˌkæŋɡəˈruː) /
any large herbivorous marsupial of the genus Macropus and related genera, of Australia and New Guinea, having large powerful hind legs, used for leaping, and a long thick tail: family Macropodidae: See also rat kangaroo, tree kangaroo
(usually plural) stock exchange an Australian share, esp in mining, land, or a tobacco company
informal (of a car) to move forward or to cause (a car) to move forward with short sudden jerks, as a result of improper use of the clutch
Origin of kangaroo
1Derived forms of kangaroo
- kangaroo-like, adjective
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
Browse