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, phalangerCite this Entry
“Possum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/possum. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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