cuscus

British

/ ˈkʌskʌs /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of cuscus

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The cuscus hangs on by its fingertips—or its curling, prehensile tail.

From Economist • Apr. 19, 2018

Especially as Christmas and Easter approach, other specimens find their way to the market, including crested macaques and a tree-dwelling marsupial, the adorable Sulawesi bear cuscus.

From Economist • Apr. 19, 2018

But it was momentous: cuscus bones excavated from the floor of a New Ireland cave are some of the oldest archeological evidence of humans transporting an animal species to a new environment.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 6, 2016

Chrissy grabbed a table by the spotted cuscus, and we discussed the overnight-at-the-museum experience.

From Washington Post • Jan. 26, 2016

The koala poses as a small bear; the cuscus answers to the racoons of America.

From Falling in Love With Other Essays on More Exact Branches of Science by Allen, Grant

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023