opossum
UK[əˈpɒsəm]US[əˈpɑːsəm]
n
a small american marsupial with a pointed snout and a hairless, prehensile tail, noted for feigning death when threatened.
n
the fur of this animal.
Etymology
the word 'opossum' entered english in the early 17th century from the algonquian language powhatan, recorded as 'aposoum'. it literally means "white animal" or "white dog," derived from the proto-algonquian elements for "white" (wa·p-) and "dog" (-aθemwa). english settlers in the virginia colony adopted the name for the unfamiliar marsupial. the initial 'o' developed from a mishearing or reinterpretation of the algonquian 'a' sound, solidifying the modern spelling. thus, the term represents a direct borrowing and phonetic adaptation of a descriptive indigenous name for the animal.
Analysis
the word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in english.
Examples
an opossum played dead in the road when our car approached.
the mother opossum carries her numerous young in her pouch.
they spotted an opossum rummaging through the garbage cans at night.