possum

views updated May 18 2018

pos·sum / ˈpäsəm/ • n. 1. inf. an opossum. 2. a tree-dwelling Australasian marsupial (Petauridae and other families) that typically has a prehensile tail.PHRASES: play possum1. pretend to be asleep or unconscious when threatened (in imitation of an opossum’s behavior). 2. feign ignorance.

possum

views updated May 23 2018

possum Popular name for any of the phalangers of Australasia. The term is also a US word for the opossum.

Possum

views updated May 23 2018

Possum (poss-ŭm) n. a device that enables severely paralysed patients to use typewriters, telephones, and other machines. Modern Possums are operated by micro-switches that require only the slightest movement in any limb. The name derives from Patient-Operated Selector Mechanism (POSM).

possum

views updated May 21 2018

possum Aphetic of OPOSSUM; now esp. in colloq. phr. (orig. U.S.) play p. pretend to be disabled, with ref. to the opossum's feigning death when attacked. XVII.

possum

views updated May 21 2018

possum See PHALANGERIDAE.

Possum

views updated Jun 11 2018

Possum (ˈpɒsəm) patient-operated selector mechanism (phonetic spelling of POSM)

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