opossum

noun

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

Illustration of opossum

Illustration of opossum
  • opossum 1

Examples of opossum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Visit Animals At Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge This wildlife rehabilitation center has aided opossums, squirrels, turtles, pelicans, and many more native species. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025 Two male peafowl, one adult opossum and one juvenile opossum were brought to the center. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 10 Jan. 2025 The Wild Robot filmmakers found their look when going over early concept art that had the island’s natural environment and its animals — foxes, bears, beavers, opossums and others — drawn in a painterly way. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025 The area is also an important habitat for scrub jays, wading birds, burrowing owls, raccoons, opossums, rabbits and gopher tortoises. Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for opossum 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of opossum was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near opossum

Cite this Entry

“Opossum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opossum. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

opossum

noun
opos·​sum (ə-)ˈpäs-əm How to pronounce opossum (audio)
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"

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