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potoroo

American  
[poh-tuh-roo] / ˌpoʊ təˈru /

noun

  • potoroos
    plural
  1. any of several small, ratlike kangaroos of the genus Potorous, of Australia.


potoroo British  
/ ˌpɒtəˈruː /

noun

  1. another name for kangaroo rat

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of potoroo

1790; perhaps < Dharuk


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.

See Examples For:

On an island just off the coast is one of the last surviving pockets of the world's rarest marsupial, the Gilbert's potoroo.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Gilbert's potoroo was once believed to have disappeared entirely before being rediscovered in 1994.

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2026

"Based on our results, we recommend focusing on areas where all three species persist together as an indicator of suitable food, or habitat, for future potoroo translocation sites."

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2026

Cats are considered to have been a leading threat for 22 of the extinct species, including the broad-faced potoroo, the crescent nailtail wallaby and the big-eared hopping mouse.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2019

As the great continent of Australia became known, it was found that the great mass of its mammalia, from the gigantic kangaroo to the pigmy, mouse-like potoroo, belonged to this singular order.

From Heads and Tales : or, Anecdotes and Stories of Quadrupeds and Other Beasts, Chiefly Connected with Incidents in the Histories of More or Less Distinguished Men. by Adam White

In the pouch he is lonely, for potoroos are seldom twins.

From Time Magazine Archive

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