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

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Consider, again, that possum who is playing possum. —

Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 As an example, years ago Florida researchers had been hearing claims about the decimation of meso mammals, which are medium-sized critters like raccoons, rabbits, and possums. —

Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 24 Oct. 2024 Perry cooked anything and everything—from possum and racoon meat to pork and mutton. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 But a few blurry images of a possum did show up (from a Ring floodlight camera mounted up high — hence the blur). —

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for possum