Play

[pleɪ] or [ple]

Definition

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

(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'.

(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'.

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

(noun.) utilization or exercise; 'the play of the imagination'.

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

(noun.) a theatrical performance of a drama; 'the play lasted two hours'.

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

(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'.

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

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

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

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

(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'.

(verb.) make bets; 'Play the races'; 'play the casinos in Trouville'.

(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'.

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

(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'.

(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'.

(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'.

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

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

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

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

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

(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'.

(verb.) behave in a certain way; 'play safe'; 'play it safe'; 'play fair'.

(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'.

(verb.) emit recorded sound; 'The tape was playing for hours'; 'the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered'.

(verb.) employ in a game or in a specific position; 'They played him on first base'.

(verb.) play on an instrument; 'The band played all night long'.

(verb.) act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome; 'This factor played only a minor part in his decision'; 'This development played into her hands'; 'I played no role in your dismissal'.

(verb.) use or move; 'I had to play my queen'.

(verb.) use to one's advantage; 'She plays on her clients' emotions'.

Edited by Jacqueline--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) To engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot.

(n.) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless.

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

(n.) To perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a flute.

(n.) To act; to behave; to practice deception.

(n.) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act; as, the fountain plays.

(n.) To move gayly; to wanton; to disport.

(n.) To act on the stage; to personate a character.

(v. t.) To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump.

(v. t.) To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.

(v. t.) To perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.

(v. t.) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute; as, to play tricks.

(v. t.) 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.

(v. t.) 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.

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

(n.) Amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.

(n.) Any exercise, or series of actions, intended for amusement or diversion; a game.

(n.) 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.

(n.) Action; use; employment; exercise; practice; as, fair play; sword play; a play of wit.

(n.) A dramatic composition; a comedy or tragedy; a composition in which characters are represented by dialogue and action.

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

(n.) Performance on an instrument of music.

(n.) Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and easy action.

(n.) Hence, liberty of acting; room for enlargement or display; scope; as, to give full play to mirth.

Checked by Gwen

Synonyms and Synonymous

v. n. [1]. Sport, disport, frolic, skip, frisk, gambol, revel, romp, caper, make merry, make fun.[2]. Trifle, toy, wanton.[3]. Game, gambler.[4]. Act (on the stage), take a part.

v. a. [1]. Put in action, put in operation.[2]. Perform on, play on or upon.[3]. Act (on the stage), enact, represent, exhibit, perform.[4]. Personate, act the part of, take the part of.[5]. Engage in, take part in.

n. [1]. Sport, frolic, amusement, pastime, gambols.[2]. Drama, tragedy, comedy or farce, dramatic performance.[3]. Practice, use, manner of dealing.[4]. Scope, swing, elbow-room, opportunity, liberty of action, a fair field.[5]. Gaming, gambling.[6]. Motion, movement, activity, exercise, action.

Edited by Jessica

Synonyms and Antonyms

SYN:Sport, pastime, amusement, diversion, recreation, gambol, frolic, opportunity,scope, room,[See PASTIME_and_SPORT]

Typed by Gilda

Definition

v.i. to engage in some amusing exercise: to take part in a game or a piece of diversion: to gamble: to sport: to trifle: to move irregularly or (mech.) freely: to operate: to act in a theatre: to perform on a musical instrument: to practise a trick: to act a character: to act with repeated strokes.—v.t. to put in motion: to perform upon: to perform: to act a sportive part: to compete with.—n. amusement: any exercise for amusement: a contending for victory or for a prize: practice in a contest: gaming: action or use: manner of dealing as fair-play: a dramatic composition: movement: room for action or motion: liberty of action.—ns. Play′-act′or one who acts a part in a play: an actor; Play′-act′orism the manner or habits of a play-actor; Play′-bill a bill or advertisement of a play; Play′book a book of plays or dramas; Play′-club a wooden-headed golf-club used for driving the ball the longest distances; Play′-day Play′-time a day devoted to play: a holiday; Play′er one who plays: an actor of plays or dramas: a trifler: a musician: a professional at cricket; Play′fellow Play′mate a fellow or mate in play or amusements.—adj. Play′ful given to play: sportive.—adv. Play′fully.—ns. Play′fulness; Play′-gō′er one who habitually attends the theatre; Play′-gō′ing; Play′-ground a ground or place on which to play esp. that connected with a school; Play′-house a house where dramatic performances are represented: a theatre; Play′ing-card one of a set of fifty-two cards used in playing games; Play′-mare the hobby-horse one of the chief parts in the ancient morris-dance; Play′thing anything for playing with: a toy; Play′wright Play′-writ′er a writer of plays: one who adapts dramatic compositions for the stage.—Played out worked to the end: used up: tired; Play fast and loose to act in a tricky inconstant way: to say one thing and do another; Play fine at billiards to strike the object-ball near the edge—opp. to Play full to strike it nearer the centre than the edge; Play off to show or display; Play up to make a beginning of playing: to play more vigorously; Play upon to trifle with: to delude.—A play upon words a use of words so as to give them a double meaning; Bring into play to bring into exercise or use; Come into play to come into use; Hold in play to keep the attention of.

Inputed by Lennon