PLAY

play, swordplay

(noun) the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully

gambling, gaming, play

(noun) the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize); “his gambling cost him a fortune”; “there was heavy play at the blackjack table”

play, child's play

(noun) activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; “Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child”

turn, play

(noun) (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; “it is my turn”; “it is still my play”

play, frolic, romp, gambol, caper

(noun) gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement; “it was all done in play”; “their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly”

maneuver, manoeuvre, play

(noun) a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill; “he made a great maneuver”; “the runner was out on a play by the shortstop”

play

(noun) a preset plan of action in team sports; “the coach drew up the plays for her team”

bid, play

(noun) an attempt to get something; “they made a futile play for power”; “he made a bid to gain attention”

play

(noun) utilization or exercise; “the play of the imagination”

looseness, play

(noun) movement or space for movement; “there was too much play in the steering wheel”

fun, play, sport

(noun) verbal wit or mockery (often at another’s expense but not to be taken seriously); “he became a figure of fun”; “he said it in sport”

play, drama, dramatic play

(noun) a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; “he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway”

play

(noun) a theatrical performance of a drama; “the play lasted two hours”

shimmer, play

(noun) a weak and tremulous light; “the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers”; “the play of light on the water”

play

(noun) a state in which action is feasible; “the ball was still in play”; “insiders said the company’s stock was in play”

play, toy

(verb) engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously; “They played games on their opponents”; “play the stock market”; “play with her feelings”; “toy with an idea”

act, play, act as

(verb) pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; “He acted the idiot”; “She plays deaf when the news are bad”

play

(verb) exhaust by allowing to pull on the line; “play a hooked fish”

dally, trifle, play

(verb) consider not very seriously; “He is trifling with her”; “She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania”

play

(verb) participate in games or sport; “We played hockey all afternoon”; “play cards”; “Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches”

meet, encounter, play, take on

(verb) contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; “Princeton plays Yale this weekend”; “Charlie likes to play Mary”

play

(verb) shoot or hit in a particular manner; “She played a good backhand last night”

play

(verb) bet or wager (money); “He played $20 on the new horse”; “She plays the races”

play

(verb) put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game; “He is playing his cards close to his chest”; “The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory”

bet, wager, play

(verb) stake on the outcome of an issue; “I bet $100 on that new horse”; “She played all her money on the dark horse”

play

(verb) make bets; “Play the races”; “play the casinos in Trouville”

play

(verb) discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream; “play water from a hose”; “The fountains played all day”

toy, fiddle, diddle, play

(verb) manipulate manually or in one’s mind or imagination; “She played nervously with her wedding ring”; “Don’t fiddle with the screws”; “He played with the idea of running for the Senate”

bring, work, play, wreak, make for

(verb) cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; “I cannot work a miracle”; “wreak havoc”; “bring comments”; “play a joke”; “The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area”

play

(verb) perform on a certain location; “The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16”; “She has been playing on Broadway for years”

play

(verb) be performed or presented for public viewing; “What’s playing in the local movie theater?”; “‘Cats’ has been playing on Broadway for many years”

play, run

(verb) cause to emit recorded audio or video; “They ran the tapes over and over again”; “I’ll play you my favorite record”; “He never tires of playing that video”

act, play, represent

(verb) play a role or part; “Gielgud played Hamlet”; “She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role”; “She played the servant to her husband’s master”

act, play, roleplay, playact

(verb) perform on a stage or theater; “She acts in this play”; “He acted in ‘Julius Caesar’”; “I played in ‘A Christmas Carol’”

play

(verb) pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; “Let’s play like I am mommy”; “Play cowboy and Indians”

play, spiel

(verb) replay (as a melody); “Play it again, Sam”; “She played the third movement very beautifully”

play

(verb) perform music on (a musical instrument); “He plays the flute”; “Can you play on this old recorder?”

play

(verb) move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly; “The spotlights played on the politicians”

play

(verb) cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space; “The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack”

play, recreate

(verb) engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion; “On weekends I play”; “The students all recreate alike”

play

(verb) be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children; “The kids were playing outside all day”; “I used to play with trucks as a little girl”

dally, toy, play, flirt

(verb) behave carelessly or indifferently; “Play about with a young girl’s affection”

play

(verb) behave in a certain way; “play safe”; “play it safe”; “play fair”

play

(verb) be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way; “This speech didn’t play well with the American public”; “His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

play (third-person singular simple present plays, present participle playing, simple past and past participle played)

(intransitive) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

(transitive, intransitive) To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).

(transitive) To compete against, in a game.

(transitive) (in the scoring of games and sports) To be the opposing score to.

(intransitive) To take part in amorous activity; to make love.

Synonyms: get it on, make out, have sex, Thesaurus:copulate

(transitive) To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance.

(heading, transitive, intransitive) To produce music or theatre.

(intransitive, of a, musical instrument) To produce music.

Synonyms: cook, jam, Thesaurus:play music

(intransitive, especially, of a, person) To produce music using a musical instrument.

(transitive, especially, of a, person) To produce music (or a specified song or musical style) using (a specified musical instrument).

(transitive, ergative) To use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording.

(intransitive, of a, theatrical performance) To be performed; (or, of a, film) to be shown.

(transitive, of a, theatrical company or band, etc.) To perform in or at; to give performances in or at.

(heading) To behave in a particular way.

(copulative) Contrary to fact, to give an appearance of being.

(transitive) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute.

(transitive, intransitive) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate.

(intransitive) To move to and fro.

(transitive) To put in action or motion.

(transitive) To keep in play, as a hooked fish in order to land it.

(transitive, colloquial) To manipulate, deceive, or swindle someone.

Synonym: defraud

Noun

play (countable and uncountable, plural plays)

(uncountable, formerly countable) Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.

(uncountable) Similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.

(uncountable) The conduct, or course, of a game.

(uncountable) An individual's performance in a sport or game.

(countable) A short sequence of action within a game.

(countable, turn-based games) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play.

Synonym: move

(countable) A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.

Synonyms: drama, Thesaurus:drama

(countable) A theatrical performance featuring actors.

(countable) A major move by a business or investor.

(countable) A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.

(uncountable) The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely.

(uncountable, informal) Sexual activity or sexual role-playing.

(countable) An instance of watching or listening to digital media.

Synonyms: view (of visual media), listen (of audio)

(countable) A button that, when pressed, causes media to be played.

(archaic, now usually in compounds) Activity relating to martial combat or fighting.

Anagrams

• paly, pyla

Source: Wiktionary

Play, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Played; p. pr. & vb. n. Playing.] Etym: [OE. pleien, AS. plegian, plegan, to play, akin to plega play, game, quick motion, and probably to OS. plegan to promise, pledge, D. plegen to care for, attend to, be wont, G. pflegen; of unknown origin. sq. root28. Cf. Plight, n.]

1. To engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot. As Cannace was playing in her walk. Chaucer. The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play! Pope. And some, the darlings of their Lord, Play smiling with the flame and sword. Keble.

2. To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless. "Nay," quod this monk, "I have no lust to pleye." Chaucer. Men are apt to play with their healths. Sir W. Temple.

3. To contend, or take part, in a game; as, to play ball; hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy stakes.

4. To perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a flute. One that . . . can play well on an instrument. Ezek. xxxiii. 32. Play, my friend, and charm the charmer. Granville.

5. To act; to behave; to practice deception. His mother played false with a smith. Shak.

6. To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act; as, the fountain plays. The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs play. Cheyne.

7. To move gayly; to wanton; to disport. Even as the waving sedges play with wind. Shak. The setting sun Plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets. Addison. All fame is foreign but of true desert, Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart. Pope.

8. To act on the stage; to personate a character. A lord will hear your play to-night. Shak. Courts are theaters where some men play. Donne. To play into a person's hands, to act, or to manage matters, to his advantage or benefit.

– To play off, to affect; to feign; to practice artifice.

– To play upon. (a) To make sport of; to deceive. Art thou alive Or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight. Shak. (b) To use in a droll manner; to give a droll expression or application to; as, to play upon words.

Play, v. t.

1. To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump. First Peace and Silence all disputes control, Then Order plays the soul. Herbert.

2. To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.

3. To perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.

4. To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute; as, to play tricks. Nature here Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will Her virgin fancies. Milton.

5. To act or perform (a play); to represent in music action; as, to play a comedy; also, to act in the character of; to represent by acting; to simulate; to behave like; as, to play King Lear; to play the woman. Thou canst play the rational if thou wilt. Sir W. Scott.

6. To engage in, or go together with, as a contest for amusement or for a wager or prize; as, to play a game at baseball.

7. To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it. To play off, to display; to show; to put in exercise; as, to play off tricks.

– To play one's cards, to manage one's means or opportunities; to contrive.

– Played out, tired out; exhausted; at the end of one's resources. [Colloq.]

Play, n.

1. Amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.

2. Any exercise, or series of actions, intended for amusement or diversion; a game. John naturally loved rough play. Arbuthnot.

3. The act or practice of contending for victory, amusement, or a prize, as at dice, cards, or billiards; gaming; as, to lose a fortune in play.

4. Action; use; employment; exercise; practice; as, fair play; sword play; a play of wit. "The next who comes in play." Dryden.

5. A dramatic composition; a comedy or tragedy; a composition in which characters are represented by dialogue and action. A play ought to be a just image of human nature. Dryden.

6. The representation or exhibition of a comedy or tragedy; as, he attends ever play.

7. Performance on an instrument of music.

8. Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and easy action. "To give them play, front and rear." Milton. The joints are let exactly into one another, that they have no play between them. Moxon.

9. Hence, liberty of acting; room for enlargement or display; scope; as, to give full play to mirth. Play actor, an actor of dramas. Prynne.

– Play debt, a gambling debt. Arbuthnot.

– Play pleasure, idle amusement. [Obs.] Bacon.

– A play upon words, the use of a word in such a way as to be capable of double meaning; punning.

– Play of colors, prismatic variation of colors.

– To bring into play, To come into play, to bring or come into use or exercise.

– To hold in play, to keep occupied or employed. I, with two more to help me, Will hold the foe in play. Macaulay.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

PLAY

Etymology

Verb

Noun

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