possum

[ pos-uhm ]

noun

1. opossum.
2. Australian. any of various phalangers, especially of the genus Trichosurus.

possum

/ ˈpɒsəm /

noun

1. an informal name for opossum
2. Also calledphalanger any of various Australasian arboreal marsupials, such as Trichosurus vulpecula ( brush-tailed phalanger ), having dense fur and a long tail: family Phalangeridae
3. play possum
   to pretend to be dead, ignorant, asleep, etc, in order to deceive an opponent

Word History and Origins

Origin of possum¹

1605–15, Americanism; short for opossum

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. play possum, Informal.
   1. to feign sleep or death.
   2. to dissemble or pretend ignorance:

      The baseball broke the window, but the children played possum when asked who had thrown it.

More idioms and phrases containing possum

see play possum .

Example Sentences

“And that crash landing, I wanted to make sure he was able to get up. Freddie, as a competitor, felt there was a chance to get into scoring position with nobody out. It’s a calculated play. I guess he was playing possum with everybody. But it’s just a heady play and a gutsy play. … He just willed himself into the lineup. He was certainly medicated.”

From Los Angeles Times

In “Wild Robot,” mannerisms and gestures feel organic, whether by a possum or, ironically, a robot.

From Los Angeles Times

Host Dana Perino notes that Daniels appeared on a supernatural investigations show in which she discovered that what she thought was a ghost in her house was actually a possum.

From Slate

He does this again a few minutes later with Anderson Cooper laughing about the Stormy Daniels/possum thing.

From Slate

You know it’s Anderson Cooper talking about the possum thing!

From Slate