opossum

noun

opos·​sum ə-ˈpä-səm  ˈpä-səm 

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

: possum sense 2

Illustration of opossum

• opossum 1

Examples of opossum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The virus most commonly spreads among wild birds but can also infect poultry, livestock and other mammals, including goats, coyotes and opossums. —Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025

What followed was hours of late-night exploring, complete with a run-in with an opossum, before the cat eventually returned indoors—only to be found resting inside a dresser drawer the next morning. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

The American River Parkway is home to wildlife, such as otters, beavers, turtles, many bird species, opossum and more. —Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2025

The agency recommends that people not pick up the opossum if the creature appears to be dead. —David Chiu, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for opossum

• lysosome
• awesome
• blossom
• possum
• odontoglossum

Kids Definition

opossum

noun

opos·​sum (ə-)ˈpäs-əm 

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"