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

If a rascally possum does become a problem, here's how to get rid of it and keep that opossum away. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 July 2026

Sanjar determined that the best time to collar the opossums is in summer, as pythons eat more frequently in preparation to breed in the fall. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 22 May 2026

This enables researchers to track spatial and temporal trends for many Wisconsin species, such as black bears, bobcats, coyotes, opossum and raccoons. — Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

One post included security camera footage showing two coyotes hunting an opossum on the driveway of a house in the Barber Tract. — Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026

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"