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Meaning of play in English
Pronunciation
/pleɪ/
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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.
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.
play on an instrument
Examples
« The band played all night long »
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.
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.
replay (as a melody)
Examples
« Play it again, Sam »
« She played the third movement very beautifully »
7.
perform music on (a musical instrument)
Examples
« He plays the flute »
« Can you play on this old recorder? »
8.
pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind
Examples
« He acted the idiot »
« She plays deaf when the news are bad »
9.
move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly
Examples
« The spotlights played on the politicians »
10.
bet or wager (money)
Examples
« He played $20 on the new horse »
« She plays the races »
11.
engage in recreational activities rather than work
Examples
« occupy oneself in a diversion »
« On weekends I play »
« The students all recreate alike »
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.
emit recorded sound
Examples
« The tape was playing for hours »
« the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered »
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.
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.
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.
behave in a certain way
Examples
« play safe »
« play it safe »
« play fair »
18.
cause to emit recorded sounds
Examples
« They ran the tapes over and over again »
« Can you play my favorite record? »
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.
use to one's advantage
Examples
« She plays on her clients' emotions »
21.
consider not very seriously
Examples
« He is trifling with her »
« She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania »
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.
behave carelessly or indifferently
Examples
« Play about with a young girl's affection »
24.
cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space
Examples
« The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack »
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.
be performed
Examples
« What's playing in the local movie theater? »
« 'Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years »
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.
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.
make bets
Examples
« Play the reaces »
« play the casinos in Trouville »
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.
shoot or hit in a particular manner
Examples
« She played a good backhand last night »
32.
use or move
Examples
« I had to play my queen »
33.
employ in a game or in a specific position
Examples
« They played him on first base »
34.
contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
Examples
« Princeton plays Yale this weekend »
« Charlie likes to play Mary »
35.
exhaust by allowing to pull on the line
Examples
« play a hooked fish »
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 »
2.
a theatrical performance of a drama
Examples
« the play lasted two hours »
3.
a preset plan of action in team sports
Examples
« the coach drew up the plays for her team »
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 »
5.
a state in which action is feasible
Examples
« the ball was still in play »
« insiders said the company's stock was in play »
6.
utilization or exercise
Examples
« the play of the imagination »
7.
an attempt to get something
Examples
« they made a futile play for power »
« he made a bid to gain attention »
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 »
9.
(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds
Examples
« rain stopped play in the 4th inning »
10.
the removal of constraints
Examples
« he gave free rein to his impulses »
« they gave full play to the artist's talent »
11.
a weak and tremulous light
Examples
« the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers »
« the play of light on the water »
12.
verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously)
Examples
« he became a figure of fun »
13.
movement or space for movement
Examples
« there was too much play in the steering wheel »
Antonyms
tightness
tautness
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 »
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 »
16.
the activity of doing something in an agreed succession
Examples
« it is my turn »
« it is still my play »
17.
the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully