wallaby

American  

[wol-uh-bee] / ˈwɒl ə bi /

noun

plural

wallabies,

plural

wallaby

1. any of various small and medium-sized kangaroos of the genera Macropus, Thylogale, Petrogale, etc., some of which are no larger than rabbits: several species are endangered.

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wallaby ¹ British  

/ ˈwɒləbɪ /

noun

1. any of various herbivorous marsupials of the genera Lagorchestes ( hare wallabies ), Petrogale ( rock wallabies ), Protemnodon, etc, of Australia and New Guinea, similar to but smaller than kangaroos: family Macropodidae

2. slang (of a person) wandering about looking for work

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Wallaby ² British  

/ ˈwɒləbɪ /

noun

1. a member of the international Rugby Union football team of Australia

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Etymology

Origin of wallaby

First recorded in 1790–1800, wallaby is from the Dharuk word wa-la-ba

Compare meaning

How does wallaby compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wallaby vs. kangaroo

Example Sentences

A white wallaby has been rescued and reunited with its owner after being found on the side of a road in Kent.

From BBC

And last year, the Tasmanian tourist board posted "adverts" for jobs including wallaby walker and paranormal investigator, in a bid to encourage more tourism to the island during the off-season.

From BBC

A wallaby hastily bounds towards sparse gum trees.

From BBC

Large marsupials like kangaroos and wallabies tended to avoid burrows, unless they had been flooded with rainwater; then they used them as watering holes.

From New York Times

It was most likely a mid-speed hopper, something like a swamp wallaby.

From Science Daily