wombat
Americannoun
-
wombats
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wombat
First recorded in 1790–1800, wombat is from the Dharuk word wom-bat
Explanation
The wombat is a fascinating Australian animal that resembles a small bear, but it isn’t actually a bear at all; it’s a marsupial, meaning it is more closely related to animals like koalas and kangaroos. The wombat is primarily nocturnal, meaning mostly active at night. Using powerful claws, it digs maze-like burrows, spending long periods there. Wombats are herbivores, feasting mostly on grasses and roots. One of their most unique features is their cube-shaped waste matter, which they use to mark territory. Their sturdy build and slow metabolism help them conserve energy, making them well-adapted to their environment. Wombats are also known for their surprisingly fast speed when threatened.
Vocabulary lists containing wombat
Australia and New Zealand - Introductory
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Australia and New Zealand - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Photos from that time show her posing with a kangaroo and a wombat and being embraced by a giant koala.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
The outrage over Mr Holston's videos comes just a few months after another US influencer was widely condemned for posting a video of her taking a baby wombat from the side of a road.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2025
"It's just unacceptable, and we're glad she's being called to account. Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it's very possibly illegal under state or national laws," Ms Milthrope said.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
A wombat burrow can last for decades, potentially providing a “multigenerational refuge” for many species, Mr. Linley said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
In fact, what Zeke felt fold over him was not the barbed cage of a giant robot pelican suit, but the tough muscles of a wombat.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
The work represents the first direct estimate of a mutation rate for koalas or for any member of the marsupial order Diprotodontia, which also includes wombats, kangaroos and possums.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
In the second part of her statement, Jones launches a scathing attack on Australia's animal culling laws, including wombats, kangaroos, horses, deer and pigs.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025
When it comes to all the ways wombats may be providing a benefit to the broader ecosystem around them by digging burrows, Dr. Nimmo said, “I think we’re actually just scratching the surface.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
New research in the journal Scientific Reports points to a missing ancestor that links koalas with other marsupials like kangaroos, possums and wombats.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2023
There were panthers and leopards, wolves, tigers and antelopes; monkeys and hedgehogs, wombats, mountain goats and giraffes; and an enormous group composed entirely of kittiwakes and vultures.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
