kangaroo code
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Poorly structured program code consisting of many jumps.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Sometimes, especially when working on large projects or with multiple programmers, it can become hard to avoid kangaroo code, that is, code that jumps from function to function and even jumps around within the same class.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “kangaroo code” mean?
Poorly structured program code consisting of many jumps.
Is “kangaroo code” formal or informal?
kangaroo code is generally slang.