n.
Pronunciation: ( ə -) ' pä-s ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural opossums also opossum
Etymology: earlier apossoun, opassom, Virginia Algonquian, from Algonquian *wa · p- white + *-a ʔ θ emw- dog
Date: 1610
1 : any of a family (Didelphidae) of American marsupials that usually have a pointed snout and prehensile tail especially : a common omnivorous largely nocturnal mammal ( Didelphis virginiana ) of No. America that has grayish to blackish fur with white on the cheeks and is an expert climber
2 : any of several Australian phalangers
opossum 1