Roo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large hopping marsupial of Australia, known in informal Australian speech by a shortened name
2. An Australian animal that moves by leaping on its powerful hind legs, often called by a clipped nickname
3. The informal Australian term for a kangaroo, a marsupial that carries its young in a pouch

Etymology: This word is a clipping of "kangaroo," the name that came from "gangurru," a word in Guugu Yimithirr, an Aboriginal language of northeastern Queensland. British visitors recorded it for a large grey marsupial, and it spread through English from there. The popular story that "gangurru" meant "I don't understand" is a myth. The word was simply the local name for the animal. Shortening "kangaroo" to "roo" is a familiar Australian habit, the same impulse that turns "barbecue" into "barbie." The short form is informal and mostly used for the animal itself.

Synonyms: kangaroo