possum

noun

pos·​sum ˈpä-səm How to pronounce possum (audio)
1
: opossum sense 1
Well into the twentieth century in the rural South, a possum hunt remained a favorite cold-weather sport …Evan Jones
2
: any of various small to medium-sized, nocturnal, chiefly arboreal marsupial mammals (especially families Phalangeridae, Pseudocheiridae, and Petauridae) of Australia and New Guinea that have thick, soft fur, a prehensile tail, and a rounded head with protruding eyes and that are mainly herbivorous
A member of Australia's rich endemic possum population, it is named for its lemur-like eyes.Jo Chandler

Note: Possums have a head and body ranging in length from 12 1/2 to 25 1/2 inches (320 to 655 mm) with a tail nearly as long.

see cuscus, phalanger

Examples of possum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Saturday Night Live recap: Host John Mulaney makes grand return with Chappell Roan and surprise guests To start, Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim sing a Lion King parody revealing that the carton is filled with possum milk. Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024 The cashier then turned to a pair of singing possums played by Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim, crooning The Lion King-style about how the milk comes from… well, a possum’s teat. Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 2 Nov. 2024 These marsupials are small possums native to Australia and New Guinea that are kept as kept as pets all over the world. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024 Made with luscious layers of cream cheese filling and dark chocolate pudding, all held together by a pecan shortbread crust, possum pie is one of the best old-fashioned desserts there is. Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for possum 

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of possum was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near possum

Cite this Entry

“Possum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possum. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

possum

noun
pos·​sum ˈpäs-əm How to pronounce possum (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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