Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [uh-pos-uh m, pos-uh m]
- /əˈpɒs əm, ˈpɒs əm/
- /əˈpɒs.əm/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [uh-pos-uh m, pos-uh m]
- /əˈpɒs əm, ˈpɒs əm/
Definitions of opossum word
- noun plural opossum a prehensile-tailed marsupial, Didelphis virginiana, of the eastern U.S., the female having an abdominal pouch in which its young are carried: noted for the habit of feigning death when in danger. 1
- noun plural opossum any of various animals of related genera. 1
- noun opossum An American marsupial that has a ratlike prehensile tail and hind feet with an opposable thumb. 1
- noun opossum Australian marsupial 1
- variable noun opossum An opossum is a small animal that lives in America. It carries its young in a pouch on its body, and has thick fur and a long tail. 0
- noun opossum 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 0
Information block about the term
Origin of opossum
First appearance:
before 1600 One of the 39% oldest English words
1600-10, Americanism; < Virginia Algonquian (E spelling) opassom, opussum, aposoum (equivalent to Proto-Algonquian *wa˙p- white + *-aʔθemw- dog)
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Opossum
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
opossum popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 88% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
opossum usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for opossum
noun opossum
- bandicoot — any agile terrestrial marsupial of the family Peramelidae of Australia and New Guinea. They have a long pointed muzzle and a long tail and feed mainly on small invertebrates
- euro — The single European currency, which replaced the national currencies of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands in 2002. Seventeen member states of the European Union now use the euro.
- kangaroo — any herbivorous marsupial of the family Macropodidae, of Australia and adjacent islands, having a small head, short forelimbs, powerful hind legs used for leaping, and a long, thick tail: several species are threatened or endangered.
- koala — a sluggish, tailless, gray, furry, arboreal marsupial, Phascolarctos cinereus, of Australia.
- possum — opossum.
Top questions with opossum
- what is opossum?
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- what is the difference between a possum and an opossum?
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- how do you spell opossum?
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See also
Matching words
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