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Meaning of "play possum" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF PLAY POSSUM

play possum play
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WHAT DOES PLAY POSSUM MEAN IN ENGLISH?

play possum

Apparent death

Apparent death, colloquially known as playing dead or playing possum, is a behavior observed in a wide range of animals which take on the appearance of being dead. This form of animal deception is an adaptive behavior known either as tonic immobility, or thanatosis. Apparent death can be used as a defense mechanism or as a form of aggressive mimicry.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PLAY POSSUM

play hell with
play into the hands of
play merry hell with
play off
play on
play on words
play one´s ace
play one´s cards
play out
play park
play reading
play safe
play second fiddle
play silly buggers
play the devil with
play the field
play the fool
play the game
play the market
play the race card

WORDS THAT END LIKE PLAY POSSUM

alyssum
brush-tail possum
brush-tailed possum
crissum
fideicommissum
grassum
odontoglossum
opossum
possum
pygmy possum
ringtail possum
sargassum
sweet alyssum

Synonyms and antonyms of play possum in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «play possum» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PLAY POSSUM

Find out the translation of play possum to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of play possum from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «play possum» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

假死
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

jugar zarigüeya
570 millions of speakers

English

play possum
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

Possum खेलने
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

تلعب تمارض
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

играть опоссума
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

jogar gambá
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

পোষাক খেলুন
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

faire le mort
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Bermain possum
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

spielen Opossum
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

ポッサムを再生
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

주머니쥐 를 재생
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Play possum
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

chơi thú có túi
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

சாத்தியமான நாடகம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

संभाव्य
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Oyna possum
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

svolgere possum
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

grać oposa
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

грати опосума
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

juca oposum
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

παίζουν possum
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

speel buidelrat
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

spela possum
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

play Possum
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of play possum

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PLAY POSSUM»

The term «play possum» is normally little used and occupies the 148.987 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Little used
30
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «play possum» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of play possum
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «play possum».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PLAY POSSUM» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «play possum» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «play possum» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about play possum

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PLAY POSSUM»

Discover the use of play possum in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to play possum and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Physical Education Tips from the Trenches
Create a game of "possum tag" — it would be fun and a teachable- moment activity: Object of the game: to avoid having to "play possum" by steering clear of danger — the tagger. How to play: Five taggers are chosen, and the rest try to avoid ...
Charmain Sutherland, 2002
2
An Arkful of Animals: Poems for the Very Young
WILLIAM JAY SMITH Have you ever in your life seen a Possum play possum? Have you ever in your life seen a Possum play dead? When a Possum is trapped and can't get away He turns up his toes and lays down his head, Bats both his ...
William R. Cole, 1992
3
The Dialect of Modernism: Race, Language, and ...
When, in the course of a quarrel with Lady Rothermere about the Criterion, Pound advised his ruffled friend to play possum, he did so, appropriately, in dialect: "Dear ole Son. You jus set and hev a quiet draw at youh cawn-kob" (EL, p . 590).
Michael North, 1998
4
The Prince of Possum Walk
It is a pouched mammal or marsupial called formally an opossum, but colloquially called a possum (technically possums are only native to Australia and a few other places in Asia). If threatened it will “play possum” as if dead and stay that way ...
Patterson, J. D., 2013
5
Possum, and Other Receits for the Recovery of "Southern" Being
The teeth we show are no longer that smile used to play possum; the words we say are more direct, with less of the deliberate ricochet of humor. We Southerners have various names for those unfortunates who take accident for substance in ...
Marion Montgomery, 2008
6
Bullette and Jessica
“For example,” he said, “Someone being attacked by a bear is often advised not to run, but to drop to the ground and play dead—to play possum. The bear will often lose interest and walk away.” Since Bullette was inside the house late at night ...
James A. Chisman, 2011
7
Phraseology and Culture in English
Australians use play possum in the same sense, but have coined their own counterversion of it with the phrase stir the possum*, meaning 'liven things up'. This usage, Similes and other evaluative idioms in Australian English 239.
Paul Skandera, 2007
8
Playing Possum: The Tale of the River Card, Round I
This was the flop that the River Card needed, and it married up perfectly with the suited jack-queen that he was holding in the pocket. The River Card was staring at a royal flush. The only thing left to do was play possum, get the pot up, and ...
John Marshall, 2014
9
101 Favorite Play Therapy Techniques
I knew this was a successful technique when the fifth grade students requested to Play Possum every year, which, of course, we did. DESCRIPTION Materials A possum puppet or picture of possum Large rubberband Balloon Tape of relaxing  ...
Heidi Kaduson, Charles Schaefer, 2010
10
Little Animal Sermons
You play 'possum by pretending to be asleep when you really are not. Lay your head back, close your eyes, don't move, and breathe slowly. That is “playing ' possum.” Maybe if you play 'possum, Dad or Mom will carry you into the house after ...
Julia E. Bland, 1999

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PLAY POSSUM»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term play possum is used in the context of the following news items.
1
TALES FROM THE TOOLBOX: A split second of uncommon valor
With only two of his men remaining, he ordered them to play possum in hopes of fooling the enemy and it seemed to be working. Almost as an ... «Newbritainherald, Jul 15»
2
What to Do If You Get Pulled Over by a Cop
However as the wiseman, Mu says when faced with a difficult situation it is best to play possum. Even if your rights have been violated, you're ... «India Currents, Jul 15»
3
Hardship forces MH17 victim's son to sell home, Malaysia Airlines …
Let's see if they can play possum in court which is what this case is all about. Everyone should know that if they fly MA and they get killed, MA ... «Stuff.co.nz, Jul 15»
4
MH17 victim's son forced to sell family home, Malaysia Airlines legal …
Let's see if they can play possum in court which is what this case is all about. Everyone should know that if they fly MA and they get killed, MA ... «The Age, Jul 15»
5
You are trying to trip up the Bar - Simelane told
"Do you believe you should co-operate and that you cannot simply play possum... that you can't lie back and have... [the Bar] prove the charges ... «News24, Jul 15»
6
Employees 'playing possum' – A HR message
The people who know to 'play possum' are the one easily reap success than those who adopt the strategy of either 'flee' or 'fend'. Only due to ... «The Hans India, Jul 15»
7
Stephens Goes Back in Time to KO Bermudez
... playing possum, UFC should look into the rules of letting a fighter play possum. I don't think Bermudez was and that was a really great fight! «UFC, Jul 15»
8
Des Moines Metro Opera deals with animal surprises on stage
"Did it want to play possum? I don't know. They're just high-strung." The goat never passed out on stage — "It rose to the occasion," Horowitz ... «Albany Times Union, Jul 15»
9
Animals produce, ahem, 'surprises' onstage
"Did it want to play possum? I don't know. They're just high-strung." The goat never passed out on stage — "It rose to the occasion," Horowitz ... «DesMoinesRegister.com, Jun 15»
10
Scary King Cricket Is a Beautiful Example of Evolution At Its Best
They can also kick, bite and scratch, or play possum when all else fails. These predator avoidance tactics are also called on when the lonely ... «AllAfrica.com, Jun 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Play possum [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/play-possum>. Apr 2024 ».
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