Meanings
English play + possum (from opossum), from the behaviour of the Virginia opossum, feigning death when threatened. First documented 1822.
How to pronounce "play possum":
AU
To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lie low.
Example: "Thinking fast, we played possum, hoping the bear wouldn't bother us."
Example: "The soldier played possum, fooling the sniper."
To feign sleep, illness, etc.
Example: "When we used to get home late at night, I would play possum so my daddy would carry me inside and put me in bed."
To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive.
Example Sentences
1
When his younger sister started teasing him, he decided to play possum and ignored her.
