American marsupial mammal, 1610s, shortened form of opossum (q.v.). It is nocturnal, omnivorous, and when caught or threatened with danger feigns death; hence the phrase play possum "feign death when threatened," attested by 1822.
posset
possibility
possible
possibly
POSSLQ
possum
post-
post
post factum
post hoc
post meridiem
