koala
noun
ko·ala
| \ kə-ˈwä-lə
, kō-ˈä-\
, kō-ˈä-\
Definition of koala
: an Australian arboreal marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has a broad head, large hairy ears, dense gray fur, and sharp claws and feeds on eucalyptus leaves
— called also koala bear
Illustration of koala
Examples of koala in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The baby koala was also orphaned after her mother was euthanized. — Fox News, "Adorable orphaned baby koala gets arm cast after falling from tree," 9 Aug. 2019 Between the baby klipspringer antelope and the mating koalas, the first two episodes alone will wrap you in a blanket of warm fuzzies the size of a pup tent. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Beneath all the warm fuzzies, new Animal Planet series on San Diego Zoo an eye-opening look at conservation," 14 Aug. 2019 To readers confused by the headline, this article does not concern a fuzzy, cute little koala. — Jack Greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Strictly Legal: Koala wins first amendment battle," 6 Aug. 2019 Zoo projects include a captive breeding program for an endangered Hawaiian crow called the ʻalalā, ongoing efforts to save Africa’s leopards, and studying wild koalas in Australia. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "In 2019, can the San Diego Zoo make new fans out of TV viewers?," 3 Aug. 2019 Climate change will require koalas to supplement their water intake from eucalyptus with drinking stations and was encouraging sockeye salmon to leave their natal lakes a year early. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 22 July 2019 The owners overcame protests by environmentalists and won permission to clear 3,700 acres of forest that served as a koala habitat and mine 12 million tons of coal per year. — Seema Mehta, latimes.com, "Tom Steyer’s bets on private prisons and coal mining could spell trouble in 2020," 11 July 2019 Over the course of the series, Animal Planet will feature a number of animals, including pandas, giraffes, Galápagos tortoises, koalas, elephants, mountain lions, and two baby cheetahs. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Animal Planet show about San Diego Zoo debuts Aug. 10," 24 July 2019 According to the Florida zoo, the marsupial baby emerged from its mother’s pouch for the first time this week, offering keepers and guests their first peek at the first koala joey to be born at the zoo. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "Florida Zoo Koala Joey Emerges from Mother's Pouch for the First Time Looking Picture Perfect," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'koala.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for koala
koala
noun
English Language Learners Definition of koala
: an Australian animal that has thick gray fur, large hairy ears, sharp claws for climbing, and no tail
See the full definition for koala in the English Language Learners Dictionary
koala
noun
ko·ala
| \ kō-ˈä-lə
\
\
Kids Definition of koala
: a tailless Australian animal with thick fur and big hairy ears, sharp claws for climbing, and a pouch like the kangaroo's for carrying its young
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