cuscus

/ (ˈkʌskʌs) /

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noun plural -cuses

any of several large nocturnal phalangers of the genus Phalanger, of N Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands, having dense fur, prehensile tails, large eyes, and a yellow nose

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Word Origin for cuscus

C17: New Latin, probably from a native name in New Guinea

Words nearby cuscus

curvy, Curzon, Cusack, Cusanus, Cusco, cuscus, cusec, cush, cushat, cushaw, cush-cush

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use cuscus in a sentence

It was a very fine specimen of Cuscus Maculatus, quite tame and kept in a large cage of split bamboo.
Thomas Henry Huxley; A Sketch Of His Life And Work|P. Chalmers Mitchell
In Celebes, wild pigs are found, and scarcely any other terrestrial mammal, besides the prehensile-tailed cuscus.
In the Eastern Seas|W.H.G. Kingston
Cuscus held on by his long prehensile tail; but Macco pulled and pulled, and down the animal came with a flop to the ground.
In the Eastern Seas|W.H.G. Kingston
On examining our larder, we found that the flesh of the cuscus was still perfectly fresh.
In the Eastern Seas|W.H.G. Kingston

The hunters soon returned, bringing with them a tree kangaroo and a cuscus, with several large bats.
In the Eastern Seas|W.H.G. Kingston