Possum
Pronunciation : Pos"sum
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [Shortened from opossum.] (Zo?l.)
Definition : Defn: An opossum. [Colloq. U. S.] To play possum, To act possum, to feign ignorance, indifference or inattention, with the intent to deceive; to dissemble; -- in allusion to the habit of the opossum, which feigns death when attacked or alarmed.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
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