joey
n.a young kangaroo or other animal that lives in its mother's pouch. You use this word mostly when talking about Australian wildlife.
n.the young of a marsupial, especially a kangaroo, wallaby, or possum. It remains in the mother's pouch until it is sufficiently developed to survive outside.
“The joey peeked out from its mother's pouch.”
“Wildlife rescuers found a joey unharmed in the pouch of a kangaroo that had been hit by a car.”
“Marsupial reproduction is unique because the joey is born in an almost embryonic state, after which it must crawl unaided to the pouch to continue its development.”
Commonly used in Australian English; when used as a proper noun, it is a familiar diminutive of the name Joseph.
From Joe + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.