What (who) is PLAY - definition
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The play; Play (album); Play (Album); Play (song); Play (ep); Play EP; Play (Song); Play Magazine; Play magazine (disambiguation); Play (magazine); Play (disambiguation); Plays; Play (Indian film); Play (film); Plays (album); Play magazine; PLAY; The Play; Play (group); The play (disambiguation); Play (EP)
Play
·noun Amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.
II. Play ·noun Performance on an instrument of music.
III. Play ·noun To act on the stage; to personate a character.
IV. Play ·vt To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.
V. Play ·vt To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.
VI. Play ·noun To perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a flute.
VII. Play ·noun Any exercise, or series of actions, intended for amusement or diversion; a game.
IX. Play ·noun The representation or exhibition of a comedy or tragedy; as, he attends ever play.
XI. Play ·noun Action; use; employment; exercise; practice; as, fair play; sword play; a play of wit.
XII. Play ·noun To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to Trifle; to be careless.
XIII. Play ·vt To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump.
XIV. Play ·vt To perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.
XV. Play ·noun Hence, liberty of acting; room for enlargement or display; scope; as, to give full play to mirth.
XVI. Play ·noun To contend, or take part, in a game; as, to play ball; hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy stakes.
XVII. Play ·noun A dramatic composition; a comedy or tragedy; a composition in which characters are represented by dialogue and action.
XVIII. Play ·vt To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to Execute; as, to play tricks.
XIX. Play ·vt 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.
XX. Play ·noun Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and easy action.
XXI. Play ·noun 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.
XXII. Play ·noun To engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for the sake of amusement; to Frolic; to Spot.
XXIII. Play ·noun To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to Operate; to Act; as, the fountain plays.
XXIV. Play ·vt 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.
play
I. v. n.
1.
Sport, disport, frolic, skip, frisk, gambol, revel, romp, caper, make merry, make fun.
2.
Trifle, toy, wanton, dally.
3.
Hover, flutter, sport, wave.
4.
Game, gambler.
5.
Act (on the stage), take a part, personate a character.
6.
Perform.
7.
Act, operate, work freely.
8.
Do, act, behave.
II. v. a.
1.
Put in action, put in operation.
2.
Perform.
3.
Put down, exhibit, use in playing, move.
4.
Compete, engage in play.
5.
Perform on, play on or upon.
6.
Execute.
7.
Act (on the stage), enact, represent, exhibit, perform.
8.
Personate, act the part of, take the part of.
9.
Engage in, take part in.
10.
Do, perform, execute.
III. n.
1.
Game.
2.
Amusement, sport, frolic, gambols, jest, pastime.
3.
Gaming, gambling.
4.
Practice, use, manner of dealing.
5.
Action, use, employment.
6.
Dramatic composition, drama, comedy, tragedy, melodrama or farce.
7.
Dramatic performance.
8.
Performance.
9.
Motion, movement, action.
10.
Liberty of action, scope, swing, elbow-room, opportunity.
play
¦ verb
1. engage in games or other activities for enjoyment rather than for a serious or practical purpose.
amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence.
(play with) treat inconsiderately for one's own amusement: she likes to play with people's emotions.
tamper with something so as to damage it: has somebody been playing with these taps?
2. take part in (a sport or contest).
compete against.
take a specified position in a sports team: he played in goal.
strike (a ball) or execute (a stroke).
move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one's turn in a game.
bet or gamble at or on.
3. informal be cooperative.
4. represent (a character) in a play or film.
give a performance at (a particular venue).
pretend to be: the skipper played the innocent.
(play someone for) treat someone as being of (a specified type): don't imagine you can play me for a fool.
5. perform on or have the skill to perform on (a musical instrument).
produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a piece of music).
make (a record player, radio, etc.) produce sounds.
6. move lightly and quickly; flicker: a smile played about her lips.
7. allow (a fish) to exhaust itself on a line before reeling it in.
¦ noun
1. games and other activities engaged in for enjoyment, especially by children.
behaviour or speech that is not intended seriously.
2. the progress of a sporting match.
the status of the ball in a game as being available to be played according to the rules: the ball was put in play.
a move or manoeuvre in a sport or game.
3. the state of being active, operative, or effective: luck comes into play.
4. a dramatic work for the stage or to be broadcast.
5. the ability or freedom of movement in a mechanism.
6. light and constantly changing movement.
7. archaic gambling.
Phrases
make a play for informal attempt to attract or attain.
make (great) play of (or with) ostentatiously draw attention to.
make play with treat frivolously.
play something by ear
1. perform music without having seen a score.
2. (play it by ear) informal proceed instinctively according to circumstances rather than according to rules or a plan.
play fast and loose behave irresponsibly or immorally.
play for time use specious excuses or unnecessary manoeuvres to gain time.
play a (or one's) hunch make an instinctive choice.
play into someone's hands act in such a way as unintentionally to give someone an advantage.
play it cool informal make an effort to be or appear to be unconcerned.
a play on words a pun.
play (it) safe avoid taking risks.
play with oneself informal masturbate.
play with fire take foolish risks.
Phrasal verbs
play about (or around) behave in a casual or irresponsible way.
?informal (of a married person) have an affair.
play along perform a piece of music at the same time as a recorded version of it is playing.
?pretend to cooperate.
play someone along informal deceive or mislead someone.
play something down pretend that something is less important than it in fact is.
play someone off bring other people into conflict for one's own advantage.
play off (of two competitors) play an extra match to decide a draw or tie.
play on exploit (someone's weak or vulnerable point).
play up
1. Brit. informal fail to function properly; cause problems.
2. Brit. put all one's energy into a game.
play something up emphasize the extent or importance of something.
play up to humour or flatter.
Derivatives
playability noun
playable adjective
Origin
OE pleg(i)an 'to exercise', plega 'brisk movement'.
Wikipedia
Play
Play most commonly refers to:
- Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
- Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Pronunciation examples for PLAY
1. was, "Next play, next play, next play."
The Catalyst Effect - Leadership in Sports _ Talks at Google
2. Kids play, we play --
ted-talks_1170_SteveKeil_2011X-320k
3. play or should play?
The Billionaire Raj - A Journey Through India's New Gilded Age _ James Crabtree _ Talks at Google
4. Babies play, kids play,
ted-talks_1170_SteveKeil_2011X-320k
5. Play:
ted-talks_1170_SteveKeil_2011X-320k
Examples of use of PLAY
1. Men fish, play golf, watch football, play computer games.
2. Ultimately, they play for themselves even as they play together.
3. "If the mayor can play, I can play," Romney said.
4. "Places you‘d like to play offense, you might not play because you have to play defense" elsewhere.
5. I have zeroed down on three people– Abhay Deol who will play the title role, Mahi Gill will play Paro and Dibyendu Bhattacharya will play Chunilal‘s character.