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
And there are plenty more infant critters in these Wildlife Photographer of the Year images, including a possum, a crab, kestrels and bear cubs galore.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Those who didn’t panic played possum.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Dashcam video shows a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper navigating around a protester in Memphis, Tennessee, who appeared to play possum in front of a patrol car, leading the agency to swat down viral claims the man was actually hit.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
When handling a possum (or any wild mammal), wear protective gloves and place the animal gently in a secure container like a box with a lid and air holes.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possum
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Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
Those who didn’t panic played possum.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Dashcam video shows a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper navigating around a protester in Memphis, Tennessee, who appeared to play possum in front of a patrol car, leading the agency to swat down viral claims the man was actually hit.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
When handling a possum (or any wild mammal), wear protective gloves and place the animal gently in a secure container like a box with a lid and air holes.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for possum
Cite this Entry
“Possum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possum. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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