play
play [plā] verb
played, playing, plays
verb, intransitive
1. To occupy oneself in amusement, sport, or other recreation: children playing with toys.
2. a. Games. To take part in a game: No minors are eligible to play. b. To participate in betting; gamble.
3. To act in jest or sport: They're not quarreling in earnest, they're just playing.
4. To deal or behave carelessly or indifferently; toy. See synonyms at flirt.
5. To behave or converse in a sportive or playful way.
6. To act or conduct oneself in a specified way: play fair; an investor who plays cautiously.
7. To act, especially in a dramatic production.
8. Music. a. To perform on an instrument: play on an accordion. b. To emit sound or be sounded in performance: The band is playing.
9. To be performed, as in a theater or on television: A good movie is playing tonight.
10. To be received or accepted: a speech that played poorly with the voters.
11. To move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly: The breeze played on the water.
12. To function or discharge uninterruptedly: The fountains played in the courtyard.
13. To move or operate freely within a bounded space, as machine parts do.
verb, transitive
1. a. To perform or act [a role or part] in a dramatic performance. b. To assume the role of; act as: played the peacemaker at the conference.
2. To perform [a theatrical work] on or as if on the stage.
3. To present a theatrical performance in [a given place]: The company played Detroit last week.
4. To pretend to be; mimic the activities of: played cowboy; played the star.
5. Sports & Games. a. To engage in [a game or sport]: play hockey; play chess. b. To compete against in a game or sport. c. To occupy or work at [a position] in a game: Lou Gehrig played first base. d. To employ [a player] in a game or position: Let's play her at first base. e. To use or move [a card, piece, or ball] in a game or sport: play the queen of hearts. f. To make [a shot or stroke], as in tennis: played a strong backhand.
6. Games. a. To bet; wager: played five dollars on the roan horse. b. To make bets on: play the races.
7. To perform or put into effect, especially as a jest or deception: play a joke on a friend.
8. To handle; manage: played the matter quietly.
9. To use or manipulate, especially for one's own interests: He played his two opponents against each other.
10. Music. a. To perform on [an instrument]: play the guitar. b. To perform [a piece] on instruments or an instrument.
11. To cause [a record or phonograph, for example] to emit recorded sounds.
12. To discharge or direct in or as if in a continuous stream: play a hose on a fire.
13. To cause to move rapidly, lightly, or irregularly: play lights over the dance floor.
14. To exhaust [a hooked fish] by allowing it to pull on the line.
noun
1. a. A literary work written for performance on the stage; a drama. b. The performance of such a work.
2. Activity engaged in for enjoyment or recreation.
3. Fun or jesting: It was all done in play.
4. Sports & Games. a. The act or manner of engaging in a game or sport: After a time-out, play resumed. The golf tournament featured expert play. b. The act or manner of using a card, piece, or ball in a game or sport: my partner's play of the last trump; his clumsy play of the rebound. c. A move or an action in a game: It's your play. The runner was thrown out in a close play.
5. Games. Participation in betting; gambling.
6. Manner of dealing with others; conduct: fair play.
7. An attempt to obtain something; a bid: a play for sympathy.
8. a. Action, motion, or use: the play of the imagination. b. Freedom or occasion for action; scope: give full play to an artist's talents. See synonyms at room.
9. Movement or space for movement, as of mechanical parts.
10. Quick, often irregular movement or action, especially of light or color: the play of color on iridescent feathers.
phrasal verb.
play along Informal
To cooperate or pretend to cooperate: decided to play along with the robbers for a while. play at
1. To participate in; engage in.
2. To do or take part in half-heartedly.
play back
To replay [a recently recorded tape, for example]. play down
To minimize the importance of; make little of: played down the defect to protect the troops' morale. play off
1. Sports. a. To establish the winner of [a tie] by playing in an additional game or series of games. b. To participate in a playoff.
2. To set [one individual or party] in opposition to another so as to advance one's own interests: a parent who played off one child against another.
play on or upon]
To take advantage of [another's attitudes or feelings] for one's own interests: demagogues who play on popular fears. play out
To use up; exhaust: Our strength was played out early in the contest. play up
To emphasize or publicize: She played up her experience during the employment interview.
idiom.
in play
1. Sports. In a position to be legally or feasibly played: The ball is now in play.
2. In a position, or rumored to be in a position of possible corporate takeover: The company's stock rose in price when news stories stated that it was in play.
out of play Sports
Not in a position to be legally or feasibly played.
play ball Slang
To cooperate: The opposing attorneys refused to play ball with us.
play both ends against the middle
To set opposing parties or interests against one another so as to advance one's own goals.
play fast and loose
To behave in a recklessly irresponsible or deceitful manner: played fast and loose with the facts.
play for time
To use delaying tactics; temporize.
play games Slang
To be evasive or deceptive: Quit playing games and tell me what you want.
play in Peoria Slang
To be acceptable to average constituents or consumers: an elitist political campaign that could never play in Peoria.
play into the hands of
To act or behave so as to give an advantage to [an opponent].
play [one's] cards Informal
To use the resources or strategies at one's disposal: played her cards right and got promoted.
play possum
To pretend to be sleeping or dead.
play the field
To date more than one person.
play the game Informal
To behave according to the accepted customs or standards.
play up to
To curry favor with.
play with fire
To take part in a dangerous or risky undertaking.
play with [oneself] Vulgar Slang
To masturbate.
[Middle English playen, from Old English plegian.]
playabilʹity noun
playʹable adjective