Definition

Noun: 1. A large, herbivorous, leaping marsupial mammal native to Australia and New Guinea: This definition describes the animal itself. Kangaroos are characterized by their powerful, large hind legs used for leaping, a long, thick tail used for balance, and a pouch (marsupium) in which females carry and nurse their young.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We saw a kangaroo with a joey in her pouch at the wildlife park.
  • The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial in the world.
  • Kangaroos are iconic symbols of Australia.

Advanced Usage

• "Kangaroo court" (idiom): An unofficial, mock court set up to deliver a judgment that is predetermined, unfair, or disregards legal standards. It implies a complete lack of justice or proper legal procedure.
  • The prisoners held a kangaroo court to punish the thief among them.
• "Kangaroo closure" (British English, politics): A parliamentary procedure where the chairperson (e.g., the Speaker) selects which amendments to a bill will be debated, effectively "leaping over" others.

Variants and Related Words

• Joey (noun): The term for a baby kangaroo.
• Mob (noun): The collective noun for a group of kangaroos.
• Marsupial (noun): The broader biological order to which kangaroos belong, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young that are then carried and nurtured in a pouch.

Synonyms

• Macropod (noun): The scientific family name for kangaroos and their relatives like wallabies and wallaroos. This is a more technical synonym.
• Roo (noun, informal): A common Australian colloquial shortening of "kangaroo."

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Kangaroo court": As defined in Advanced Usage.
• "To have kangaroos in the top paddock" (Australian slang, idiom): To be crazy or not thinking clearly. ("Paddock" means field.)
  • He thinks he can fly? He's got kangaroos in the top paddock.

Noun

1. any of several herbivorous leaping marsupials of Australia and New Guinea having large powerful hind legs and a long thick tail