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koala

koala

40 1.0
A slow animal from Australia that lives in trees and eats eucalyptus leaves
  • noun
  • /koʊˈɑːlə/
  • Australian
translation icon : koala
  • Visitors at the zoo were delighted to see a koala perched peacefully on a branch.
  • koalas and kangaroos

You heard them baby koalas are called joeys which is dumb.

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Examples

  • Stephen put his arms under the koala and gave him a boost up.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • There in the branches, with a baby clinging to her back, was a koala.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • And then we went to the koala park and saw the koalas and saw the Kangaroos.

  • You could pay extra to feed the koalas and you and the Kangaroos, which we did.

  • In Australia, you will have wasted the trip if you don't get a koala and kangaroo.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Highlights for the day include Kangaroos, koalas, and really pretty scenery.

  • The koala is known for its unique diet, primarily feeding on eucalyptus leaves.

  • At the wildlife reserve, the koalas sleep in the trees during the hottest part of the day.

Synonyms

koala bear
vskoala
  • Australian
2 1.0

A slow tree animal from Australia with grey fur that eats eucalyptus leaves and carries its babies in a pouch

is the standard descriptive name without the informal addition
native bear
vskoala
  • Australian
4.8

A small Australian animal that lives in trees, carries babies in a pouch, and eats eucalyptus leaves

is the general descriptive name rather than that regional label
Phascolarctos cinereus
vskoala
  • Specialized
9.4

A tree-dwelling Australian animal that eats eucalyptus leaves

is the everyday descriptive name used in ordinary speech

Compounds

koala bear
  • Australian
2 1.0

A slow tree animal from Australia with grey fur that eats eucalyptus leaves and carries its babies in a pouch

Surface Forms

koala singular
koalas plural

Etymology

Koala comes from an Australian Aboriginal word gula, also spelled koolah, meaning 'no water'. A helpful way to remember this is that koalas get most of their water from eucalyptus leaves and so rarely drink, which explains the name.