possum

[ pos-uh m ]

/ ˈpɒs əm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR possum ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

opossum.

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

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Idioms for possum

play possum, Informal.

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.

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for possum

Two hours east of Dallas, sun-drenched granite cliffs loom high above the cloudy waters of Possum Kingdom Lake.
The World Series of Cliff Diving Takes Itself Very Seriously|Hampton Stevens|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was also called “Possum,” because he looked like one, especially when he grinned.
George Jones Would Break Your Heart Every Time|Malcolm Jones|April 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And Mr. 'Possum said, "W-we saw something very strange out there, Mr. Crow—a v-very curious bird!"
Hollow Tree Nights and Days|Albert Bigelow Paine
I've nothing but cold 'possum and tea, and the 'possum's an acquired taste, I'm afraid.
A Little Bush Maid|Mary Grant Bruce

It means dat we got ter go er possum huntin' dis yere very night, sah.
Up Terrapin River|Opie P. Read
Sometimes Marster let us take his dogs and go huntin' and dey wuz de best 'possum trailers 'round dem parts.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume IV, Georgia Narratives, Part 1|Work Projects Administration
But sometimes she'd bury a 'possum till she had a chance to cook it.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Arkansas Narratives, Part 4|Work Projects Administration

British Dictionary definitions 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

Idioms and Phrases with possum

possum

see play possum.

possum

noun

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Idioms for possum

Origin of possum

Words nearby possum

Words related to possum

Example sentences from the Web for possum

British Dictionary definitions for possum

noun

Idioms and Phrases with possum