Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: opossum

possum

 noun
     
Related topics: Animals
pos‧sum also opossum [countable]
1HBA one of various types of small furry animals that climb trees and live in America or Australia
2

play possum

informal to pretend to be asleep or dead so that someone will not annoy or hurt you
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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