kangaroo

/,kæɳgə'ru:/

Thân thiện

A kangaroo hops across the grassy plains with its joey peeking from its pouch.

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.

Học thuật

Noun

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