kangaroo
/ˌkæːŋ.ɡəˈɹʉː/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.50 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A member of the Macropodidae family of large marsupials with strong hind legs for hopping, native to Australia and New Guinea.
noun
A hooded jacket with a front pocket, usually of fleece material, a kangaroo jacket.
Canadian usage
verb
To practice kangaroo care on an infant; to hold a premature infant against the skin.
adj
Characterized by rapidly jumping prices in securities markets or by belief that the prices are unstable in contrast to bear and bull markets.
Example Sentences
- "Besides the Animals which I have before mentioned, called by the Natives Kangooroo, or Kanguru […]."
- "In the woods are the kanguroo, the emu or cassowary, paroquets, and a variety of small birds […]."
- "A lobbying effort by the Australian government to continue the trade of kangaroo skins and meat to California has failed, with the US state set to impose a ban on the import of the animal. […] Australia’s states and territories oversee management of kangaroos and wallabies but the federal government is involved in exports."
- "The rapid growth in Kangaroo bond issues in the Australian market has given rise to an interest in the nature, trend and impact of this type of bond on Australia's international investment statistics. While Kangaroo bonds have been issued for a ..."
- "Furthermore, the issuers access the kangaroo bond market in order to diversify their funding sources. ... driven by factors such as the relative cost of issuance, including hedging costs and the liquidity of underlying derivative and bond markets."
- "Non-resident. bonds. Bonds issued in the Australian market by non-resident entities are known as kangaroo bonds. Figure 8.6 shows that kangaroo bonds represent approximately one-third of non-government bonds outstanding, making them ..."
Etymology
Borrowed from Guugu Yimidhirr gangurru (“eastern grey kangaroo”). Despite a popular misconception, the Guugu Yimidhirr term does not mean "I don't know".
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌkæːŋ.ɡəˈɹʉː/
- British English: /ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈɹuː/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Law.