possum

[ pos-uh m ]
/ ˈpɒs əm /

noun

Australian. any of various phalangers, especially of the genus Trichosurus.

Idioms for possum

    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.

Origin of possum

1605–15, Americanism; short for opossum

British Dictionary definitions for play possum

possum
/ (ˈpɒsəm) /

noun

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

Cultural definitions for play possum

play possum

To pretend to be dead, a trick used by opossums to defend themselves from predators: “Everyone thought the old con man had died, but it turned out he was just playing possum.” By extension, it also means “to pretend to be asleep, or to lie low”: “Come on, Harry, open your door. You can't play possum forever.”

Idioms and Phrases with play possum (1 of 2)

play possum

Pretend to be dead or asleep, as in Max always plays possum when it's time to clean up his room. This expression alludes to the fact that the opossum falls into an apparent coma when caught, giving the appearance of death. [1820s]

Idioms and Phrases with play possum (2 of 2)

possum

see play possum.