| 释义 |
possum
pos·sum P0465900 (pŏs′əm)n.1. Chiefly Southern US An opossum. See Note at tater.2. Any of several nocturnal arboreal marsupials of the suborder Phalangeriformes, native to Australia and adjacent islands and introduced elsewhere.
[Short for opossum.]possum (ˈpɒsəm) n1. (Animals) an informal name for opossum12. (Animals) Also called: phalanger Austral and NZ any of various Australasian arboreal marsupials, such as Trichosurus vulpecula (brush-tailed phalanger), having dense fur and a long tail: family Phalangeridae3. play possum to pretend to be dead, ignorant, asleep, etc, in order to deceive an opponentpos•sum (ˈpɒs əm)
n., pl. -sums, (esp. collectively) -sum. 1. opossum. 2. any of many marsupials of the families Phalangeridae, Petauridae, and Burramidae, of Australia and neighboring islands. Idioms: play possum, to feign sleep or death. [1725–35] Thesaurus| Noun | 1. |  possum - nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South Americaopossummarsupial, pouched mammal - mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carriedDidelphidae, family Didelphidae - opossumscommon opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, Didelphis virginiana - omnivorous opossum of the eastern United States; noted for feigning death when in danger; esteemed as food in some areas; considered same species as the crab-eating opossum of South Americacrab-eating opossum - South American opossum | | 2. |  possum - small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tailsopossum, phalangermarsupial, pouched mammal - mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carriedfamily Phalangeridae, Phalangeridae - phalangers; koalascuscus - woolly-haired monkey-like arboreal marsupial of New Guinea and northern Australiabrush-tailed phalanger, Trichosurus vulpecula - bushy-tailed phalangerflying opossum, flying phalanger, flying squirrel - nocturnal phalangers that move with gliding leaps using parachute-like folds of skin along the sides of the bodykangaroo bear, koala, koala bear, native bear, Phascolarctos cinereus - sluggish tailless Australian arboreal marsupial with grey furry ears and coat; feeds on eucalyptus leaves and bark |
Translationspossum (ˈposəm) noun (American) opossum. 負鼠 负鼠play possum to pretend to be dead or asleep. 裝睡，裝作一動不動 装病，装死
possum
play possum1. To pretend to be dead; to play dead (typically so a predatory animal will lose interest and leave one alone). A reference to the involuntary defense mechanism of the North American opossum. If we encounter a bear in the woods, is it better to play possum or try to run?2. By extension, to pretend to be asleep, inactive, or unaware as a means of avoiding someone or something. Josh just puts his head down and plays possum whenever the boss looks for someone to do a job for him. I played possum in my room when I heard my mom shouting about the broken lamp.See also: play, possumstir the possumTo instigate or propagate something controversial, incendiary, or divisive. Primarily heard in Australia. The MP has been accused of stirring the possum with her social media post about the evils of same-sex marriage. I know this is likely to stir the possum, but I have to say my piece about how spoilt and sheltered kids are today.See also: possum, stirplay possumFig. to pretend to be inactive, unobservant, asleep, or dead. (The possum refers to an opossum.) I knew that Bob wasn't asleep. He was just playing possum. I can't tell if this animal is dead or just playing possum.See also: play, possumplay possumPretend to be dead or asleep, as in Max always plays possum when it's time to clean up his room. This expression alludes to the fact that the opossum falls into an apparent coma when caught, giving the appearance of death. [1820s] See also: play, possumplay possum LITERARYIf someone plays possum, they try to make people ignore them by pretending to be dead or asleep. `Playing possum, huh?' said Joe. `Right,' said Frank. `I figured it might be interesting to hear what they had to say to each other when they thought I was unconscious.' Note: The possum or opossum is a North American and Australian animal. If it is threatened by another animal it sometimes lies still, as if it is dead, so that the animal will lose interest. See also: play, possumplay possum 1 pretend to be asleep or unconscious when threatened. 2 feign ignorance. This expression, recorded from the early 19th century in the USA, refers to the opossum's habit of feigning death when threatened or attacked (possum is an informal US term for an opossum).See also: play, possumstir the possum stir up controversy; liven things up. Australian informalSee also: possum, stirplay ˈpossum (informal) pretend to be asleep or not aware of something, in order to deceive somebody: Jake decided that his best course of action would be to play possum and wait for her to give up.A possum is a small Australian and American animal that pretends to be dead when it is in danger.See also: play, possum play possum To pretend to be sleeping or dead.See also: play, possumplay possum, toTo pretend ignorance; to feign sleep or death. This term comes from the fact that opossums fall into a kind of coma when they are caught, appearing to be dead. Whether the animal is genuinely paralyzed by fear or is smart enough to dissemble has never been determined. The term originated in the United States in the early 1820s. An early use was Adiel Sherwood’s in A Gazetteer of the State of Georgia (1829): “He is playing ’possum with you.”See also: playpossum
possum1. an informal name for opossum2. Austral. and NZ any of various Australasian arboreal marsupials, such as Trichosurus vulpecula (brush-tailed phalanger), having dense fur and a long tail: family Phalangeridae POSSUM
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| POSSUM➣Pictures of Standard Syndromes and Undiagnosed Malformations (diagnostic program) | | POSSUM➣Patient-Operated Selector Mechanism | | POSSUM➣Polar Orbiting Satellite System designed by University of Michigan |
possum
Synonyms for possumnoun nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South AmericaSynonymsRelated Words- marsupial
- pouched mammal
- Didelphidae
- family Didelphidae
- common opossum
- Didelphis marsupialis
- Didelphis virginiana
- crab-eating opossum
noun small furry Australian arboreal marsupials having long usually prehensile tailsSynonymsRelated Words- marsupial
- pouched mammal
- family Phalangeridae
- Phalangeridae
- cuscus
- brush-tailed phalanger
- Trichosurus vulpecula
- flying opossum
- flying phalanger
- flying squirrel
- kangaroo bear
- koala
- koala bear
- native bear
- Phascolarctos cinereus
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