possum

noun

pos·​sum ˈpä-səm 

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

Sandoval, perpetually sweaty and always sauntering around the castle like a surprised possum, has no real concept of who may or may not be Traitors, but that doesn’t keep him from sharing every theory that enters his mind with anyone in his vicinity. —Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 6 Feb. 2025

In his January 30 video, the owner addressed Betty, who was calmly lying in the garage while a possum lurked around. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

The sign outside proudly touts the base’s bowling alley, the guard tower has been overtaken by possums and the soldiers all need haircuts. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 2 Jan. 2025

Downward ‘possum might not be a traditional yoga pose but Shadow, Twig and Flapjack are trying to change that. —Deena Butterfield, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing possum

• play possum

Rhymes for possum

• awesome
• blossom
• lysosome
• opossum
• odontoglossum

Kids Definition

possum

noun

pos·​sum ˈpäs-əm 

: opossum