possum
[ pos-uh m ]
/ ˈpɒs əm /
noun
Australian.
any of various phalangers, especially of the genus Trichosurus.
Idioms for possum
- to feign sleep or death.
- to dissemble or pretend ignorance: The baseball broke the window, but the children played possum when asked who had thrown it.
play possum, Informal.
Origin of possum
1605–15,
Americanism; short for
opossum
Words nearby possum
possible,
possible world,
possibly,
possie,
posslq,
possum,
possum haw,
possy,
post,
post captain,
post chaise
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.