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

Using a network of trail cameras, Wails and her colleagues watched how the island’s ecosystem has evolved over the past decade, and how other predatory species, such as raccoons and opossums, responded to the sudden dearth of foxes. —Ramin Skibba, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 July 2025

Homeowners who enjoy attracting animals to their property are aware of the value of providing ground-level water sources that are popular during the day with birds and bring in night visitors like raccoons, opossums, coyotes and bobcats. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2025

This is different from marsupial mammals, which include opossums, kangaroos, wombats, and koalas. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2025

Homeowners who enjoy attracting animals to their property are aware of the value of providing ground level water sources that are popular during the day with birds and bring in night visitors like raccoons, opossums, coyotes and bobcats. —Ernie Cowan, Mercury News, 17 July 2025

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

Rhymes for opossum

• lysosome
• awesome
• blossom
• possum
• odontoglossum

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"