Kangaroo Meaning
/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹʉː/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia.
nounA member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia and New Guinea.
Sentence Examples
Have you ever seen a kangaroo?
An ostrich cannot fly any more than a kangaroo can.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Using its strong hind legs, the ____ can leap over tall fences in the wild.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The mother ____ carries her young baby in a special pouch located on her stomach as she hops along.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Guugu Yimidhirr gangurru (“eastern grey kangaroo”). Despite a popular misconception, the Guugu Yimidhirr term does not mean "I don't know".
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Besides the Animals which I have before mentioned, called by the Natives Kangooroo, or Kanguru […]."
— 1770 August 4, James Cook, Journal:
"In the woods are the kanguroo, the emu or cassowary, paroquets, and a variety of small birds […]."
— 1814, Matthew Flinders, A Voyage to Terra Australis:
"A lobbying effort by the Australian government to continue the trade of kangaroo skins and meat to California has failed, with the US state set to impose a ban on the import of the animal. […] Australia’s states and territories oversee management of kangaroos and wallabies but the federal government is involved in exports."
— 2015 September 14, Oliver Milman, “California set to ban kangaroo imports despite lobbying efforts by Australia”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 12 Mar 2021:
"The rapid growth in Kangaroo bond issues in the Australian market has given rise to an interest in the nature, trend and impact of this type of bond on Australia's international investment statistics. While Kangaroo bonds have been issued for a ..."
— 2005, Year Book Australia: 2006, Aust. Bureau of Statistics, page 708:
"Non-resident. bonds. Bonds issued in the Australian market by non-resident entities are known as kangaroo bonds. Figure 8.6 shows that kangaroo bonds represent approximately one-third of non-government bonds outstanding, making them ..."
— 2018, Ben Hunt, Chris Terry, Financial Institutions and Markets, Cengage AU, →ISBN, page 206:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Using its strong hind legs, the ____ can leap over tall fences in the wild.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The mother ____ carries her young baby in a special pouch located on her stomach as she hops along.