wombat
Americannoun
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 Wombat Protection Society said it was shocked to see the "mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for 'social media likes'".
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
Paranormal investigator, wombat walker and stargazer are among the 10 jobs being advertised.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2024
“In going through the literature,” Dr. Nimmo said, “there was quite a lot of evidence that species other than wombats were regularly using wombat burrows.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
The giant diprotodon, a two-and-a-half-ton wombat, roamed the forests.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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
Baby wombats share a strong bond with their mothers, and any separation can be distressing and harmful, conservationists say.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
While it turned out that wombats weren’t gallantly ushering woodland creatures out of harm’s way, Dr. Nimmo decided to explore the role of their burrows in forest ecosystems affected by a fire.
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.
