play possum

动词 v.
中文释义

英文释义

动词 v.
  1. To feign death; to remain quiet and still to escape attention or remain undetected; to lie low. idiomatic
    — Thinking fast, we played possum, hoping the bear wouldn't bother us.
  2. To feign sleep, illness, etc. idiomatic
    — 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.
  3. To dissemble or to feign ignorance; to disguise or conceal something in order to deceive. dated,idiomatic
    — Though, as it afterwards turned out, the Yankee had money enough about him, and was merely playing the ’possum all the while.

词形变化

plays possum present,singular,third-person playing possum participle,present played possum participle,past played possum past

词汇关系

近义词
act possum possum
相关词
sham Abram sham Abraham

词源

From play + possum (“from opposum”), from the behavior of the Virginia opossum, which feigns death when threatened. First use appears c. 1807.
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