red kangaroo

noun

: a large kangaroo (Macropus rufus) of the dry plains of inland Australia with the male having a reddish-brown coat

Examples of red kangaroo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Newborn kangaroos Along with photos of Irwin and Lew, the KC Zoo shared facts about how red kangaroos develop after they are born. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026 The Jumping Junction group features six wallabies, 10 red kangaroos and two Western grey kangaroos, which are less than 2 years old. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2026 According to the Galahad Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and information obtained from Quebec's Environment Ministry, the red kangaroo was seen hopping in open fields in the Montreal suburb of Boucherville. — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026 For thousands of years, the planet’s largest hopping animal has remained Australia’s red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus). — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for red kangaroo

Word History

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red kangaroo was in 1820

Rhymes for red kangaroo

See All Rhymes for red kangaroo

Browse Nearby Words

red juniper
red kangaroo
red kauri
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Red kangaroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20kangaroo. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on red kangaroo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about red kangaroo

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All