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Meaning & use

quokka

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈkwɒkə/
US/ˈkwɑːkə/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A small, short-tailed marsupial from Western Australia, about the size of a cat, with a round face that often looks like it is smiling.

    Grammar: Plural is quokkas: we saw three quokkas.

    Patterns

    • a quokka on an island

    Tourists on Rottnest Island queue to take selfies with a quokka.

    The quokka is a nocturnal animal that eats leaves and grass.

    A quokka can live without fresh water for long periods.

Word forms

pluralquokkas

Common combinations

quokka selfie
She posted a quokka selfie from Rottnest Island.
wild quokka
A wild quokka hopped across the path.
quokka population
The quokka population is protected on the island.
feed a quokka
It is illegal to feed a quokka.
quokka habitat
Dense scrub is the quokka habitat.

Synonyms and how they differ

wallaby
A wallaby is a related but generally larger marsupial, while a quokka is a smaller, specific species.
marsupial
Marsupial is the broad group name that includes the quokka, kangaroo and koala.
kangaroo
A kangaroo is much bigger and has longer legs than a quokka.

Word family

marsupial noun
an animal that carries young in a pouch
quokkas noun
plural form

Commonly confused: quokka or koala?

quokka vs koala

A koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial that eats eucalyptus leaves, while a quokka lives on the ground and looks more like a small wallaby.

Practice

The quokka is best known as ______.

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