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quokka

American

[kwok-uh] / ˈkwɒk ə /

noun

a small wallaby, Setonix brachyurus, inhabiting islands and swampy areas in southwestern Australia.

quokka British

/ ˈkwɒkə /

noun

a small wallaby, Setonix brachyurus , of Western Australia, occurring mostly on offshore islands

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of quokka

First recorded in 1860–65, quokka is from the Nyungar word kwaka

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An 11-month-old quokka joey survived and is recovering in the zoo's health centre.

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2022

“Kids see Jason on the cover with a cute little rottie — a magical version of the Australian quokka — and they ask about other magical animals in the book,” she said.

From Washington Post • May 18, 2022

The quokka, with its permanently chipper expression, is a major attraction among visitors to Western Australia.

From Nature • Oct. 16, 2018

But on Rottnest Island, just off the coast of Perth, the quokka population has exploded.

From National Geographic • Jul. 13, 2017

A photo of a quokka posted by Essena O’Neill to Instagram.

From The Guardian • Nov. 2, 2015

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023