opossum

noun

opos·​sum ə-ˈpä-səm  ˈpä-səm 

plural opossums also opossum

1

: any of a family (Didelphidae) of small- to medium-sized American marsupials that usually have a pointed snout and nearly hairless scaly prehensile tail, are typically active at night, and are sometimes hunted for their fur or meat

especially : a common omnivorous largely nocturnal mammal (Didelphis virginiana) of North and Central America that is a skilled climber, that typically has a white face and grayish body and in the female a well-developed fur-lined pouch, and that when threatened may feign death by curling up the body and remaining motionless and unresponsive

2

: possum sense 2

Illustration of opossum

• opossum 1

Examples of opossum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These nipples are concealed inside a pouch on its belly, because the Virginia opossum is a marsupial, the only one native to North America. —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Voice cast includes Pedro Pascal as fox Fink, Catherine O’Hara as opossum Pinktail; Bill Nighy as goose Longneck; Kit Connor as gosling Brightbill and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu as Vontra, a robot that will intersect with Roz’s life on the island. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024

A lot of cottontails and gray squirrels had been popping up on trail cameras, along with gray fox, opossum, feral cats, and deer; cougars eat them all. —Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 22 May 2024

Fleas are carried constantly into your yard by wildlife that passes through, such as skunks, raccoons, opossums, mice, and deer, says Benson. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

earlier apossoun, opassom, borrowed from a Virginia Algonquian word of uncertain form, going back to Algonquian *wa·p- "white" + *-aʔθemw- "dog, small animal"

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

opossum

noun

opos·​sum (ə-)ˈpäs-əm 

plural opossums also opossum

: a common marsupial mammal mostly of the eastern U.S. that usually is active at night, has a tail that can wrap around and grasp objects (as tree branches), and is an expert climber

Etymology

from apossoun, opassom, a word in an Algonquian language of Virginia meaning, literally, "white dog"