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opossumenUK
o·pos·sum O0097400 (ə-pŏs′əm, pŏs′əm)n. pl. opossum or o·pos·sums 1. Any of various nocturnal, usually arboreal marsupials of the family Didelphidae of the Americas, especially Didelphis virginiana of North and Central America, having a thick coat, a long snout, and a long prehensile tail. See Note at tater.2. A possum of Australia and adjacent islands.
[Virginia Algonquian.]opossum (əˈpɒsəm) n, pl -sums or -sum1. (Animals) any thick-furred marsupial, esp Didelphis marsupialis (common opossum), of the family Didelphidae of S North, Central, and South America, having an elongated snout and a hairless prehensile tail. Sometimes (informal) shortened to: possum 2. (Animals) Also called (Austral and NZ): possum any of various similar animals, esp the phalanger, Trichosurus vulpecula, of the New Zealand bush[C17: from Algonquian aposoum; related to Delaware apässum, literally: white beast]o•pos•sum (əˈpɒs əm, ˈpɒs əm)
n., pl. -sums, (esp. collectively) -sum. 1. a prehensile-tailed marsupial, Didelphis virginiana, of the eastern U.S.: noted for feigning death when in danger. 2. any marsupial of the New World family Didelphidae. 3. possum (def. 2). [1610, Amer.; < Virginia Algonquian (E sp.) opassom, opussum, aposoum] o·pos·sum (ə-pŏs′əm) Any of various rat-like mammals that mostly dwell in trees and have thick fur, a long snout, and a long hairless tail. The tail is often used to hang from branches. Opossums are marsupials and carry their young in a pouch until they grow older, when they cling to their mother's back or tail with their tails. When attacked by predators, opossums "play dead" or "play possum" by collapsing and lying still.Thesaurus| Noun | 1. |  opossum - small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tailsphalanger, possummarsupial, pouched mammal - mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carriedfamily Phalangeridae, Phalangeridae - phalangers; koalascuscus - woolly-haired monkey-like arboreal marsupial of New Guinea and northern Australiabrush-tailed phalanger, Trichosurus vulpecula - bushy-tailed phalangerflying opossum, flying phalanger, flying squirrel - nocturnal phalangers that move with gliding leaps using parachute-like folds of skin along the sides of the bodykangaroo bear, koala, koala bear, native bear, Phascolarctos cinereus - sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark | | 2. |  opossum - nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South Americapossummarsupial, pouched mammal - mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carriedDidelphidae, family Didelphidae - opossumscommon opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, Didelphis virginiana - omnivorous opossum of the eastern United States; noted for feigning death when in danger; esteemed as food in some areas; considered same species as the crab-eating opossum of South Americacrab-eating opossum - South American opossum |
Translationsopossum (əˈposəm) noun (also possum) a furry animal with a long tail and a pouch for carrying its young which lives in trees; it is found especially in Australia, New Zealand and America. 負鼠 负鼠（尾有卷握力的小有袋动物） opossumenUK
opossum (əpŏs`əm, pŏs`–), name for several marsupialsmarsupial
, member of the order Marsupialia, or pouched mammals. With the exception of the New World opossums and an obscure S American family (Caenolestidae), marsupials are now found only in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and a few adjacent islands.
..... Click the link for more information. , or pouched mammals, of the family Didelphidae, native to Central and South America, with one species extending N to the United States. With the exception of an obscure group found in South American forests, opossums are the only living marsupials outside the Australia–New Guinea region. Extremely abundant despite the encroachment of civilization and apparently little changed over millions of years, they owe their success to their adaptability, omnivorous diet, and rapid reproductive rate. Opossums are more or less arboreal, nocturnal animals, with long noses, naked ears, prehensile tails, and opposable hind toes tipped with flat pads. They eat small animals, eggs, insects, and fruit. The common, or Virginia, opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, ranges from Argentina to the N United States; it is found mostly in wooded areas and is common in the SE United States. The common opossum resembles a large rat, with a white face and long, coarse fur of mixed white-tipped and black-tipped hairs. It spends time both in trees and on the ground and makes nests of leaves, usually in holes in trees. When frightened it goes into a state of collapse; this involuntary "playing possum" sometimes saves it from predators, who lose interest in an apparently dead animal. The female usually has the typical marsupial pouch, although it is absent in some of the South American species. The 6 to 18 young are born after a gestation of 12 days and weigh 1-15 oz. (1.9 grams); they crawl through the mother's fur to the pouch where they are carried and nursed for three months. After emerging, they ride on the mother's back, clinging to her fur or tail with their own tails. Because it raids domestic poultry and corn, the opossum is hunted in the South as a pest, as well as for food and sport. Among the other opossum species are the tiny mouse opossums (Marmosa species) and the yapok, or water opossum (Chironectes minimus), which has webbed feet and leads a semiaquatic existence. The yapok ranges from Guatemala to Brazil. Opossums are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Marsupialia, family Didelphidae. Bibliography See study by J. F. Keefe (1967). opossum[ə′päs·əm] (vertebrate zoology) Any member of the family Didelphidae in the order Marsupialia; these mammals are arboreal and mainly omnivorous, and have many incisors, with all teeth pointed and sharp. opossum1. any thick-furred marsupial, esp Didelphis marsupialis (common opossum), of the family Didelphidae of S North, Central, and South America, having an elongated snout and a hairless prehensile tail 2. any of various similar animals, esp the phalanger, Trichosurus vulpecula, of the New Zealand bush opossumenUK
Synonyms for opossumnoun small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tailsSynonymsRelated Words- marsupial
- pouched mammal
- family Phalangeridae
- Phalangeridae
- cuscus
- brush-tailed phalanger
- Trichosurus vulpecula
- flying opossum
- flying phalanger
- flying squirrel
- kangaroo bear
- koala
- koala bear
- native bear
- Phascolarctos cinereus
noun nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South AmericaSynonymsRelated Words- marsupial
- pouched mammal
- Didelphidae
- family Didelphidae
- common opossum
- Didelphis marsupialis
- Didelphis virginiana
- crab-eating opossum
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