opossum

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noun opos·sum \(É™-)ˈpä-sÉ™m\

: a somewhat small white or gray animal that is usually active at night and that lives in North and South America and in Australia

plural opossums also opossum

Full Definition of OPOSSUM

1

:  any of a family (Didelphidae) of American marsupials that usually have a pointed snout and prehensile tail; especially :  a common omnivorous largely nocturnal mammal (Didelphis virginiana) of North America that has grayish to blackish fur with white on the cheeks and is an expert climber

2

:  any of several Australian phalangers

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Illustration of OPOSSUM

Origin of OPOSSUM

earlier apossoun, opassom, Virginia Algonquian, from Algonquian *wa·p- white + *-aʔθemw- dog

First Known Use: 1610

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

Rhymes with OPOSSUM

play possum