koala
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing koala
Amazing Animals, A-Z
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Amazing Animals, List 2
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 30–November 5, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
South Australia is home to a booming koala population, but researchers warn that this apparent conservation success could eventually turn into a serious problem.
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
Researchers adapted a technique widely used to study heat and human health to establish the first "statistically validated association between ambient temperature and koala mortality", the study said.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
Farallon also invested in fossil fuel projects, including an Australian coal mine that denuded thousands of acres of koala habitat and generated an enormous amount of carbon emissions.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The koala gets all the nutrients it needs from eucalyptus leaves.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
