Meaning & use

possum

noun·Everyday

A small nocturnal marsupial with a pointed snout and a long, often prehensile tail.

See it in a sentence

A possum wandered across our backyard looking for fallen fruit at night.

The possum played dead when the dog got too close.

A note on using this word

In North America 'opossum' is the formal term, often shortened to 'possum'; in Australia, 'possum' names a different, unrelated marsupial family.

Words with a similar meaning

opossum

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “possum”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.