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
slang (of a person) wandering about looking for work
First recorded in 1790–1800, wallaby is from the Dharuk word wa-la-ba
How does wallaby compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
A wallaby is a pint-sized relative of a kangaroo. Like their larger cousins, wallabies are indigenous to Australia and New Guinea. Small to medium-sized, wallabies are a type of marsupial that carries its newborn babies in pouches. The tiniest species of wallaby is only 18 inches long. They have very powerful rear legs that allow them to jump high, bound along at top speed, and kick predators hard when necessary. The name wallaby is from the Aboriginal Australian Dharug waliba; in English, wallabies were once commonly referred to as as "brush-kangaroos."
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They meet again on Sunday and six-Test Wallaby Toole said they were brimming with confidence after opening their season with a 56-24 thrashing of Western Force in Perth a week ago.
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
Prop Nick Stiles played through a golden era of Wallaby rugby at the turn of the century, including in all three Tests in 2001 as Australia beat the Lions in one of the great series.
From BBC • Jul. 30, 2025
As the Lions attacked near the Australia line, Wallaby flanker Carlo Tizzano tried to get over the ball at a ruck.
From BBC • Jul. 29, 2025
And the Wallaby fury didn't even last 10 seconds at the Suncorp.
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2025
Wallaby, wol′ab-i, n. a small kangaroo.—On the wallaby, On the wallaby track, out of employment, a slang Australian phrase derived from the shy habits of the kangaroo.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
