opossum

/əˈpɑsəm/
noun
  1. A small to medium-sized animal with a long tail and a pointed face, native to the Americas, known for playing dead when threatened.
    • Opossums are marsupials, meaning they carry their babies in a pouch.
    • When scared, an opossum will often lie still and pretend to be dead.
    • An opossum wandered into our backyard last night and ate some fallen fruit.
  2. The fur or skin of an opossum, sometimes used to make coats or hats.
    • Some people object to using opossum pelts for clothing.
    • The vintage coat was made of opossum fur and felt very soft.
    • He wore a hat lined with opossum to keep warm in the winter.
What does "opossum" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean