: any of several stocky burrowing Australian marsupials (genera Vombatus and Lasiorhinus of the family Vombatidae) resembling small bears
Illustration of wombat
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebWombat Underground is set in Australia and shows how a variety of creatures survived the country’s devastating 2019–20 wildfire season by seeking refuge in underground wombat caves. Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 5 May 2022 Australia's government has pledged $35 million toward conservation efforts for what animal, which is closely related to the wombat?CNN, 3 Feb. 2022 Has the entire country of Australia tripped on a garden hose or a wombat and tumbled into a vat of vegemite? Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2022 Researchers anticipate discovering how the wombat’s distinctive defecation process works can help humans detect colon cancer. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2021 To get to the bottom of the mystery, scientists dissected a wombat that had died after being hit by a car. Tess Joosse, Science | AAAS, 27 Jan. 2021 It’s not uncommon to come across a wombat on the side of the road in Australia. Doug Gimesy, National Geographic, 21 Aug. 2020 In fact, the first wombat Small and her mother ever cared for died. Doug Gimesy, National Geographic, 21 Aug. 2020 Paleontologists announced the discovery of an extinct Australian mammal resembling a 300-pound wombat in new research published in the journal Scientific Reports. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) wambad