possum

noun

pos·​sum ˈpä-səm 

1

: opossum sense 1

Well into the twentieth century in the rural South, a possum hunt remained a favorite cold-weather sport …

—Evan Jones

2

: 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

Note: 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, phalanger

Examples of possum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The technique of possum-tracking is being developed at the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Key Largo, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. —Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026

Chopped banana peels can also attract curious and hungry pests like rats, possums, and raccoons, as well as fruit flies, gnats, and their harmful larvae. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026

If a possum is eaten by a python, it is tracked and the python is euthanized. —Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026

Docile, furry and cute to some, possums have become an unexpected ally in the effort to slow the invasion of Burmese pythons, a snake that has decimated ecosystems in Florida. —South Florida Sun Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing possum

• play possum

Rhymes for possum

• awesome
• blossom
• lysosome
• opossum
• odontoglossum

Kids Definition

possum

noun

pos·​sum ˈpäs-əm 

: opossum