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# possum

«possum» in Mova's school dictionary: **an Australian and New Zealand marsupial (an animal with a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a possum, possums)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A possum is an Australian and New Zealand marsupial (an animal with a pouch) that lives in trees and comes out at night. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#m1)

2) (US) Possum is the short name for opossum, an American animal with a pouch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#m2)

3) (informal) «Play possum» means to pretend to be asleep or dead. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In Australia possums are common in gardens and roofs; in New Zealand they are a pest that harms forests and birds. In the US «opossum» or «possum» is a different animal. In science lessons it is about marsupials and nocturnal animals. The phrase «playing possum» comes from the opossum pretending to be dead.

### examples

- A possum climbed onto our roof at night. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x1)
- Possums carry babies in a pouch. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x2)
- In New Zealand, possums eat birds' eggs and trees. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x3)
- The opossum, or possum, lives in America. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x4)
- My brother played possum so he wouldn't have to get up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x5)
- We heard possums in the gum tree. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x6)
- (Australia) «G'day, possum» is a friendly name for someone you like. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x7)
- The possum's eyes shone in the torch light. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/#x8)

### note

Plural: possums. Australian/NZ possums and American opossums are not the same animal, though both have pouches. In Australia «possum» is also a pet name (a friendly way to talk to a child).

### In the corpora

- ["You're not in trouble, possum.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/59-the-parents-walk-in-how-good-parents-react/7/)
- [And the Australian possum living in a roof is a different animal from the American opossum, though both carry their babies in pouches.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/224-raccoons-opossums-and-skunks/4/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «possum» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/possum/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.