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Definition of roo

roo

/ruː/
roo
Plural:roos
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roo Lexical Profile

roo Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Australian An informal clipped term for a kangaroo, a large herbivorous marsupial native to Australia characterized by its powerful hind legs, long muscular tail, and abdominal pouch.

Example

"A mob of grey roos bounded across the dusty outback track just before dusk."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for roo

• Rhymes for roo

• Nearby Words

romulea
rondo
ronnie
roo
roof
roofer
roofie

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in the early 20th century in Australian English by apheresis (clipping the initial syllables) of 'kangaroo', which was originally borrowed from the Guugu Yimithirr word 'gangurru'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Roo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/roo
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