Sunday 20 December (2)

PLAY |plā|

VERB

1 [intrans.] engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose: the children were playing outside / her friends were playing with their dolls.

• [trans.] engage in (a game or activity) for enjoyment: I want to play Monopoly.
• amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretense: the boys were playing cops and robbers.
• (play at) engage in without proper seriousness or understanding: you cannot play at being a Christian.
• (play with) treat inconsiderately for one's own amusement: she likes to play with people's emotions.
• (play with) handle without skill so as to damage or prevent from working: has somebody been playing with the thermostat?

2 [trans.] take part in (a sport) on a regular basis: I play softball and tennis.

• participate in (an athletic match or contest): the Red Sox will play two games on Wednesday.
• compete against (another player or team) in an athletic match or contest: the team will play France on Wednesday.
• [intrans.] [usu. with negative] figurative be cooperative: he needs financial backing, but the bank won't play.
• [intrans.] be part of a team, esp. in a specified position, in a game: he played shortstop.
• strike (a ball) or execute (a stroke) in a game.
• assign to take part in an athletic contest, esp. in a specified position: the manager will want to play the right-handed Curtis.
• move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one's turn in a game: he played his queen.
• bet or gamble at or on: he didn't play the ponies.

3 [trans.] represent (a character) in a theatrical performance or on film: she played Ophelia.

• [intrans.] perform in a theatrical production or on film: he was proud to be playing opposite a famous actor.
• put on or take part in (a theatrical performance or concert): the show was one of the best we ever played.
• give a dramatic performance at (a particular theater or place).
• behave as though one were (a specified type of person): the skipper played the innocent, but smuggled goods were found on his vessel.
• (play someone for) treat someone as being of (a specified type): don't imagine you can play me for a fool.
• (play a trick / joke on) behave in a deceptive or teasing way toward.

4 [trans.] perform on (a musical instrument): we heard someone playing a harmonica | [intrans.] a pianist who will play for us.

• possess the skill of performing upon (a musical instrument): he taught himself to play the violin.
• produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a piece of music): they played a violin sonata.
• make (an audiotape, CD, radio, etc.) produce sounds.
• [intrans.] (of a musical instrument, audiotape, CD, radio, etc.) produce sounds: somewhere within, a harp was playing.
• [trans.] accompany (someone) with music as they are moving in a specified direction: the bagpipes played them out of the dining room.

5 [intrans.] move lightly and quickly, so as to appear and disappear; flicker: a smile played about her lips.

• (of a fountain or similar source of water) emit a stream of gently moving water.
6 [trans.] allow (a fish) to exhaust itself pulling against a line before reeling it in.

NOUN

1 activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, esp. by children: a child at play may use a stick as an airplane.

• behavior or speech that is not intended seriously: I flinched, but only in play.
• [as adj.] designed to be used in games of pretense; not real: play families are arranged in play houses.

2 the conducting of an athletic match or contest: rain interrupted the second day's play.

• the action or manner of engaging in a sport or game: he maintained the same rhythm of play throughout the game.
• the status of the ball in a game as being available to be played according to the rules: the ball was put in play.
• figurative the state of being active, operative, or effective: luck comes into play.
• a move or maneuver in a sport or game: the best play is to lead the 3 of clubs.• archaic gambling.
3 a dramatic work for the stage or to be broadcast: the actors put on a new play.

4 the space in or through which a mechanism can or does move: the steering rack was loose, and there was a little play.

• figurative scope or freedom to act or operate: our policy allows the market to have freer play.
• light and constantly changing movement: the artist exploits the play of light across the surface.

PHRASES

make a play formake (great) play of not playing with a full deckplay ball play both ends against the middleplay something by earplay it by earplay by the rulesplay one's cards close to one's chestplay one's cards rightplay ducks and drakesplay fairplay someone falseplay fast and looseplay the fieldplay for timeplay the gameplay Godplay havoc withplay hellplay hookeyplay into someone's handsplay it coolplay the marketa play on wordsplay it safeplay to the galleryplay truantplay with oneselfplay with fire

PHRASAL VERBS

play around play alongplay someone alongplay something downplay someone offplay offplay onplay something outplay something upplay up to

DERIVATIVES

playabilityplayableORIGIN Old English pleg(i)an [to exercise,] plega [brisk movement,] related to Middle Dutch pleien ‘leap for joy, dance.'