possum
pronunciation
How to pronounce possum in British English:
UK [ˈpɒsəm]
How to pronounce possum in American English:
US [ˈpɑsəm]
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- Noun:
- nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South America
- small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails
Word Origin
- possum (n.)
- 1610s, shortened form of opossum. Phrase play possum is first recorded 1822.
Example
- 1. The white lemuroid possum of northern queensland hasn 't been seen in three years
- 2. Perhaps we should also adopt the white lemuroid possum as an icon for the victims of global warming .
- 3. And last year , researchers in australia reported what would be the world 's first mammalian extinction of modern times : the lemuroid ringtail possum .