Diprotodonts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Members of an order of marsupials characterized by two prominent lower front teeth, including kangaroos, wombats, and koalas
2. Pouched mammals of the order Diprotodontia, distinguished by a pair of large protruding incisors in the lower jaw
3. Marsupial animals belonging to a large order whose members typically have two enlarged lower incisors, such as possums and wallabies

Etymology: "Diprotodonts" is the plural of "diprotodont", a name for a member of the marsupial order Diprotodontia, which includes kangaroos, koalas, wombats and possums. The word is a technical coinage built from Greek roots: "di-" meaning "two", "pro" meaning "front" or "before", and "odont", from Greek "odous" meaning "tooth". Together they describe the defining feature of the group, a pair of prominent incisors in the lower jaw, which is the opposite arrangement from the many-toothed "polyprotodonts". Because the word was assembled by scientists from classical elements, it reflects the naming habits of zoology rather than any ancient usage. The Greek parts were chosen to describe a visible anatomical trait, so the name carries its own explanation: two teeth, set forward. Its plural form simply follows the normal English pattern for a count noun.