wallaby

noun

wal·​la·​by ˈwä-lə-bē How to pronounce wallaby (audio)
plural wallabies also wallaby
: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos (especially genus Notamacropus) compare rock wallaby

Illustration of wallaby

Illustration of wallaby

Examples of wallaby 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.
The wallabies and deer were being kept in a garden used by the suspects and their young children, police said. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 Bags were also strong, with new messenger and briefcase shapes in grain leather, while footwear saw new lace-up wallabies and the sleek leather flip-flop. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 29 June 2026 On Mother's Day, the zoo shared a post highlighting its baby orangutan, bighorn sheep, wallaby and more. — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 11 May 2026 Guests start the morning with sunrise qi gong sessions, a practice similar to tai chi, often held outdoors among local wildlife like wallabies. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wallaby

Word History

Etymology

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) walabi, waliba

First Known Use

circa 1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wallaby was circa 1798

Phrases Containing wallaby

Browse Nearby Words

wallaba
wallaby
wallaby acacia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wallaby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallaby. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

wallaby

noun
wal·​la·​by ˈwäl-ə-bē How to pronounce wallaby (audio)
plural wallabies also wallaby
: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos

More from Merriam-Webster on wallaby

Nglish: Translation of wallaby for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wallaby

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All