Illustration of opossum
- opossum 1
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
Examples of opossum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wildlife agents reported seeing someone riding down the street on a bicycle with a live opossum in the bike’s basket.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024
While Home Alone In the clip, which Southlake DPS shared in its Facebook post, an opossum slinks onto the porch and starts sniffing the cookie delivery.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
Baby opossums will stay with the mom until they are weaned after about four months.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
According to the federal agency, since 1997, the pythons have been the cause of drastic declines in raccoon, opossum and bobcat populations.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
Last summer, Jen Percy, a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, came across a peculiar video of an opossum pretending to be dead.
—Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
In addition to canines that are family pets, the parasite can also latch on to raccoons, marsh rabbits, dogs, horses, nutria, bobcats, mountain lions, opossums, and other mammals.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The opossum was safely handed over to wildlife biologists, the agency said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024
Glue traps — boards coated with an adhesive meant to entrap rodents — have ensnared birds, bats, chipmunks, lizards, opossums, mice, rabbits, salamanders, snakes, turtles and even flying squirrels, Shaw said, citing the WILD-ONe database, created by the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024
While Home Alone In the clip, which Southlake DPS shared in its Facebook post, an opossum slinks onto the porch and starts sniffing the cookie delivery.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024
Baby opossums will stay with the mom until they are weaned after about four months.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 29 Mar. 2024
According to the federal agency, since 1997, the pythons have been the cause of drastic declines in raccoon, opossum and bobcat populations.
—USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
Last summer, Jen Percy, a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, came across a peculiar video of an opossum pretending to be dead.
—Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2023
In addition to canines that are family pets, the parasite can also latch on to raccoons, marsh rabbits, dogs, horses, nutria, bobcats, mountain lions, opossums, and other mammals.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The opossum was safely handed over to wildlife biologists, the agency said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 16 Feb. 2024
Glue traps — boards coated with an adhesive meant to entrap rodents — have ensnared birds, bats, chipmunks, lizards, opossums, mice, rabbits, salamanders, snakes, turtles and even flying squirrels, Shaw said, citing the WILD-ONe database, created by the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opossum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
Dictionary Entries Near opossum
Cite this Entry
“Opossum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opossum. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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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"
More from Merriam-Webster on opossum
Nglish: Translation of opossum for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about opossum
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