possum

noun

pos·sum ˈpä-səm

: opossum sense 1

Well into the twentieth century in the rural South, a possum hunt remained a favorite cold-weather sport …—

Evan Jones

: 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

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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 The bridge has helped many possums cross the road, and at least one koala, based on footage from a wildlife camera from the last eight months. —

Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 28 Sep. 2024 Consider, again, that possum who is playing possum. —

Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for possum