1
: opossum sense 1
Well into the twentieth century in the rural South, a possum hunt remained a favorite cold-weather sport …—
Evan Jones
Evan Jones2
: 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
Jo ChandlerNote: 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, phalangerExamples of possum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cases have also been reported among bears, foxes, possums and seals.
—Carma Hassan, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
The police evidence room has also seen the likes of possums and mold, the station reported.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
In the latest 2017 report, photos from inside the facility show snakes, rodents, possums and possible mold.
—Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024
Activists found that the resort was trapping and killing wildlife, including skunks and possums.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
Australian possums have shorter, less pointed snouts in comparison to the opossums found in North America.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2023
Other predators, such as rats, possums, stoats, ferrets, and feral cats, were later brought by European settlers.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2023
While both possums and opossums are marsupials — the two animals have their differences.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2023
Her old fence is falling, and the other day a possum entered her yard.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
Carma Hassan, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
The police evidence room has also seen the likes of possums and mold, the station reported.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
In the latest 2017 report, photos from inside the facility show snakes, rodents, possums and possible mold.
—Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2024
Activists found that the resort was trapping and killing wildlife, including skunks and possums.
—Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024
Australian possums have shorter, less pointed snouts in comparison to the opossums found in North America.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2023
Other predators, such as rats, possums, stoats, ferrets, and feral cats, were later brought by European settlers.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2023
While both possums and opossums are marsupials — the two animals have their differences.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2023
Her old fence is falling, and the other day a possum entered her yard.
—Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'possum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near possum
Cite this Entry
“Possum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possum. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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