possum

American  

[pos-uhm] / ˈpɒs əm /

noun

1. opossum.

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

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idioms

1. play possum,

   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.

possum British  

/ ˈpɒsəm /

noun

1. an informal name for opossum

2. Also called: phalanger.  any of various Australasian arboreal marsupials, such as Trichosurus vulpecula ( brush-tailed phalanger ), having dense fur and a long tail: family Phalangeridae

3. to pretend to be dead, ignorant, asleep, etc, in order to deceive an opponent

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possum More Idioms  

1. see play possum.

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Usage

Plural word for possum The plural form of possum is possums. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -um are also formed in this way, including museum/museums and drum/drums.Possum is pluralized in the regular, or standard, way of adding an -s to the end of the word.In some nouns that end in -um that are derived from Latin, the irregular plural ending -a may be used instead, as in memorandum/memoranda and curriculum/curricula. These nouns are considered irregular nouns. However, the -a ending isn’t valid for possum, because the word derives from the Virginia Algonquian term (with English spelling) opussum. Possa would be an invalid plural for possum.

Etymology

Origin of possum

1605–15, short for opossum

Example Sentences

She has created large canvases, embellished formal gloves and a gown, and—most shockingly—a decorated taxidermied goat covered in a menagerie of stitched animals, including a mischievous red-winged blackbird and a cheery possum.

From The Wall Street Journal

In June, Mumbai customs intercepted two passengers arriving from Thailand with dozens of venomous vipers and more than 100 other creatures, including lizards, sunbirds and tree-climbing possums, also arriving from Thailand.

From Barron's

The group's first target is to remove possums up to this line.

From The Wall Street Journal

No wonder Craig feels more like a bunch of possums in a skin suit.

From Los Angeles Times

Affectionately dubbed Putricia, it will release a smell described as "wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh".

From BBC