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Meaning of play in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /pleɪ/

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  1. Verb

    play

    Etymology

    Old English pleg(i)an ‘to exercise’, plega ‘brisk movement’, related to Middle Dutch pleien‘leap for joy, dance’

    Definitions

    1. participate in games or sport

    Examples

    • « We played hockey all afternoon »
    • « play cards »
    • « Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches »
  2. 2. act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome

    Examples

    • « This factor played only a minor part in his decision »
    • « This development played into her hands »
    • « I played no role in your dismissal »
  3. 3. play on an instrument

    Examples

    • « The band played all night long »
  4. 4. play a role or part

    Examples

    • « 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 »
  5. 5. be at play

    Examples

    • « 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 »
  6. 6. replay (as a melody)

    Examples

    • « Play it again, Sam »
    • « She played the third movement very beautifully »
  7. 7. perform music on (a musical instrument)

    Examples

    • « He plays the flute »
    • « Can you play on this old recorder? »
  8. 8. pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind

    Examples

    • « He acted the idiot »
    • « She plays deaf when the news are bad »
  9. 9. move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly

    Examples

    • « The spotlights played on the politicians »
  10. 10. bet or wager (money)

    Examples

    • « He played $20 on the new horse »
    • « She plays the races »
  11. 11. engage in recreational activities rather than work

    Examples

    • « occupy oneself in a diversion »
    • « On weekends I play »
    • « The students all recreate alike »
  12. 12. pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity

    Examples

    • « Let's play like I am mommy »
    • « Play cowboy and Indians »
  13. 13. emit recorded sound

    Examples

    • « The tape was playing for hours »
    • « the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered »
  14. 14. perform on a certain location

    Examples

    • « The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16 »
    • « She has been playing on Broadway for years »
  15. 15. put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game

    Examples

    • « He is playing his cards close to his chest »
    • « The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory »
  16. 16. engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously

    Examples

    • « They played games on their opponents »
    • « play the stockmarket »
    • « play with her feelings »
    • « toy with an idea »
  17. 17. behave in a certain way

    Examples

    • « play safe »
    • « play it safe »
    • « play fair »
  18. 18. cause to emit recorded sounds

    Examples

    • « They ran the tapes over and over again »
    • « Can you play my favorite record? »
  19. 19. manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination

    Examples

    • « She played nervously with her wedding ring »
    • « Don't fiddle with the screws »
    • « He played with the idea of running for the Senate »
  20. 20. use to one's advantage

    Examples

    • « She plays on her clients' emotions »
  21. 21. consider not very seriously

    Examples

    • « He is trifling with her »
    • « She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania »
  22. 22. be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way

    Examples

    • « This speech didn't play well with the American public »
    • « His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee »
  23. 23. behave carelessly or indifferently

    Examples

    • « Play about with a young girl's affection »
  24. 24. cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space

    Examples

    • « The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack »
  25. 25. perform on a stage or theater

    Examples

    • « She acts in this play »
    • « He acted in 'Julius Caesar' »
    • « I played in 'A Christmas Carol' »
  26. 26. be performed

    Examples

    • « What's playing in the local movie theater? »
    • « 'Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years »
  27. 27. cause to happen or to occur as a consequence

    Examples

    • « I cannot work a miracle »
    • « wreak havoc »
    • « bring comments »
    • « play a joke »
    • « The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area »
  28. 28. discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream

    Examples

    • « play water from a hose »
    • « The fountains played all day »
  29. 29. make bets

    Examples

    • « Play the reaces »
    • « play the casinos in Trouville »
  30. 30. stake on the outcome of an issue

    Examples

    • « I bet $100 on that new horse »
    • « She played all her money on the dark horse »
  31. 31. shoot or hit in a particular manner

    Examples

    • « She played a good backhand last night »
  32. 32. use or move

    Examples

    • « I had to play my queen »
  33. 33. employ in a game or in a specific position

    Examples

    • « They played him on first base »
  34. 34. contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle

    Examples

    • « Princeton plays Yale this weekend »
    • « Charlie likes to play Mary »
  35. 35. exhaust by allowing to pull on the line

    Examples

    • « play a hooked fish »
  36. Noun

    play

    Definitions

    1. a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

    Examples

    • « he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway »
  37. 2. a theatrical performance of a drama

    Examples

    • « the play lasted two hours »
  38. 3. a preset plan of action in team sports

    Examples

    • « the coach drew up the plays for her team »
  39. 4. a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill

    Examples

    • « he made a great maneuver »
    • « the runner was out on a play by the shortstop »
  40. 5. a state in which action is feasible

    Examples

    • « the ball was still in play »
    • « insiders said the company's stock was in play »
  41. 6. utilization or exercise

    Examples

    • « the play of the imagination »
  42. 7. an attempt to get something

    Examples

    • « they made a futile play for power »
    • « he made a bid to gain attention »
  43. 8. play by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules

    Examples

    • « Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child »
  44. 9. (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds

    Examples

    • « rain stopped play in the 4th inning »
  45. 10. the removal of constraints

    Examples

    • « he gave free rein to his impulses »
    • « they gave full play to the artist's talent »
  46. 11. a weak and tremulous light

    Examples

    • « the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers »
    • « the play of light on the water »
  47. 12. verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously)

    Examples

    • « he became a figure of fun »
  48. 13. movement or space for movement

    Examples

    • « there was too much play in the steering wheel »

    Antonyms

    • tightness
    • tautness
  49. 14. gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement

    Examples

    • « it was all done in play »
    • « their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly »
  50. 15. the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)

    Examples

    • « his gambling cost him a fortune »
    • « there was heavy play at the blackjack table »
  51. 16. the activity of doing something in an agreed succession

    Examples

    • « it is my turn »
    • « it is still my play »
  52. 17. the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully

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