possum
[ pos-uh m ]
/ ˈpɒs əm /
noun
Australian. any of various phalangers, especially of the genus Trichosurus.
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What’s The Difference Between “Possum” And “Opossum”?The most famous marsupial of the moment is Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum from Germany. Heidi has made headlines across the globe and has over 200,000 fans on Facebook. Enough with the cuteness, and on to a great story of language: What is the difference between possum and opossum? The answer is more complex and interesting than you might think. The opossum received its name in the …
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
- possible,
- possible world,
- possibly,
- possie,
- posslq,
- possum haw,
- possy,
- post,
- post captain,
- post chaise
Idioms
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for 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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
possum
1610s, shortened form of opossum. Phrase play possum is first recorded 1822.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
possum
see play possum.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.