zebra opossum, n.

zebra-opossum
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zebra-opossum_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zebra opossumnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zebra opossum mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zebra opossum. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### Where does the noun zebra opossum come from?

Earliest known use

1800s

The earliest known use of the noun zebra opossum is in the 1800s.

OED's earliest evidence for zebra opossum is from 1808, in Transactions Linnean Society.

### Nearby entries

1. zebra danio, n. 1917–
2. zebraed, adj. 1806–
3. zebra finch, n. 1868–
4. zebrafish, n. 1771–
5. zebraic, adj. 1858–
6. zebra marking, n. 1854–
7. zebra moray, n. 1933–
8. zebra mule, n. 1841–
9. zebra mussel, n. 1866–
10. zebrano, n. 1908–
11. zebra opossum, n.1808–
12. zebra parakeet, n. 1856–
13. zebra plant, n. 1826–
14. zebra poison, n. 1871–74
15. zebra print, n. & adj. 1932–
16. zebra rhomb, n. 1770–1844
17. zebra rock, n. 1895–
18. zebra rush, n. 1882–
19. zebra shark, n. 1804–
20. zebra skin, n. 1774–
21. zebra spider, n. 1806–

## Meaning & use

Now historical and rare.

1. 1808–
   The thylacine or Tasmanian wolf, Thylacinus cynocephalus; cf. zebra wolf n.
   1. 1808

      > It is vulgarly called the Zebra Opossum, Zebra Wolf, &c.

      Transactions Linnean Society vol. 9 175
   2. 1855

      > T [hylacinus] cynocephalus,..the Tasmanian Wolf, Zebra Opossum, and Zebra Wolf.

      English Cyclopaedia, Natural History vol. III. 697
   3. 2005

      > In contrast with the elusive and mysterious zebra opossum, the devil was easily found and studied.

      M. Mittlebach & M. Crewdson, Carnivorous Nights (2006) xxvi. 266
   animals historical
   1. zebra opossum 1808–
      The thylacine or Tasmanian wolf, Thylacinus cynocephalus; cf. zebra wolf, n.
   2. zebra wolf 1808–
      The thylacine or Tasmanian wolf, Thylacinus cynocephalus; cf. zebra opossum, n.
   3. tiger 1829–
      Applied to other than feline beasts.
   4. hyena 1832–
      A name of the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, the most formidable of Australasian animals.
   5. thylacine 1838–
      The native Tasmanian ‘wolf’ or ‘zebra-wolf’, Thylacinus cynocephalus, the largest of existing carnivorous marsupials (now very scarce or extinct).
   6. Tasmanian wolf 1843–
      The thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus; cf. Tasmanian tiger at tiger, n. 2c(a).
   7. wolf 1891–
      Applied to other animals in some way resembling wolves. (a) In South Africa, a hyena: see also aardwolf, n., strand-wolf, n., tiger-wolf, n. (b) A…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zebra, n.

zebra, n. was revised in June 2018.