Possum
/ˈpɒsəm/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An opossum, a marsupial of the family Didelphidae of the Americas. US
- 2 nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South America wordnet
- 3 Any of the marsupials in several families of the order Diprotodontia of Australia and neighboring islands.
- 4 small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tails wordnet
Verb
- 1 To play possum; to feign sleep, illness, or death. intransitive
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"They ate possum roadkill for dinner."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Algonquian *wa·p- Proto-Algonquian *aθemwa Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔθemwa Powhatan aposoumbor. English opossumder. English possum Derived from opossum by apheresis.