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

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.

But what comes out is not a raccoon, a stray dog or a possum. —

Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025 Researchers suspect possums are the primary source, with transmission probably involving mosquitoes. —

John Drake, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 In a follow-up video, Candice filmed the baby possum reuniting with its mother. —

Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024 When life gives you lemons, eat the lemons off the ground under the cover of night like a possum. —

Viktoria Shulevich, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for possum