Joeys

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to the young of certain marsupials, specifically those that are carried and nurtured in a pouch until they mature
2. Young offspring of marsupials, such as kangaroos and koalas, that develop inside their mother’s pouch after birth
3. Offspring of marsupial species, which rely on their parent's pouch for nourishment and protection during early development

Etymology: Joey is the plural of "joey", and the word's origin is genuinely uncertain. Older sources tied it to an Australian Aboriginal language, but more recent research on Australian English says no such source has been established. The earliest known sense is "young possum", which predates the usage for young kangaroos, so the word may have started as a general term for young marsupials before narrowing. The word has also been linked to several people, but none of these links is firmly established. One account names the English entertainer Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837), who was popular in his day. Another points to the British television personality Joey Deacon (1920–1981), whose 1981 charity campaign on the children's programme Blue Peter led children to pick up the term, sometimes as an insult. A third says it was named after the Scottish politician Joseph Hume (1777–1855), but this is only a claim.