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Glite Dictionary
kangaroo hare

kangaroo hare

9.9
A small Australian hopping animal that looks like a hare and keeps its teeth for life
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : liebre canguro
  • Unlike many other marsupials, the kangaroo hare keeps its teeth for life.

Examples

  • The kangaroo hare is difficult to spot in its natural grassy habitat.

  • Researchers observed the unique hopping pattern of the kangaroo hare in western Australia.

  • The kangaroo hare is known for its unique teeth.

  • I saw a kangaroo hare hopping through the grass.

  • Researchers observed the unique hopping pattern of the kangaroo hare in western Australia.

  • The kangaroo hare is difficult to spot in its natural grassy habitat.

  • Unlike many other marsupials, the kangaroo hare keeps its teeth for life.

Synonyms

hare wallaby
vskangaroo hare
  • Australian
9.9

A small Australian animal like a tiny kangaroo with long ears and a slim body that moves quickly

is the same but adds taxonomic genus information
mala
vskangaroo hare
  • Australian
9.9

A small reddish wallaby that lives in dry parts of Australia

focuses on dental feature rather than a specific color or habitat
Lagorchestes
vskangaroo hare
  • Australian
9.9

A group of small wallabies that look like hares and live in Australia

refers to a specific type identified by persistent teeth rather than the broader genus

Surface Forms

kangaroo hare singular
kangaroo hares plural

Morphology

kangaroo + hare

The noun–noun combination is partly compositional: a B1 learner who knows 'kangaroo' and 'hare' can infer an animal that combines kangaroo and hare features (i.e. a hare‑like small macropod). However, the specific taxonomic detail (a small Australian wallaby) and the distinctive trait 'persistent teeth' are not predictable from the constituents, so the meaning is only partially derivable.

Etymology

The name kangaroo hare probably comes from how the animal looks: it hops like a kangaroo and looks like a hare, and people noticed it 'keeps its teeth for life'. That's why the name is used for this 'small Australian wallaby'.