play (pl )v. played, play·ing, plays v.intr.1. To occupy oneself in amusement, sport, or other recreation: children playing with toys. 2. a. 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 arguing in earnest, they're just playing. 4. To deal or behave carelessly or indifferently; toy. See Synonyms at flirt. 5. To behave or converse sportively or playfully. 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. v.tr.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 meeting. 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. 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 or piece) in a game: play the ace of clubs f. To hit (a ball, shot, or stroke), as in tennis: played a strong backhand. g. To attempt to keep or gain possession or control of: No foul was called because he was playing the ball. 6. a. To bet; wager: played ten dollars on the 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: played his 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 compact disk or audiocassette, 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. n.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. 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. 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 Verbs: play along Informal To cooperate or pretend to cooperate: decided to play along with the robbers for a while. play around To philander. play at1. 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 off1. 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/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 job interview. Idioms: in play1. 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 it was said to be 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 hard to get To pretend to be inaccessible or uninterested, as when flirting. play in Peoria Slang To be acceptable to average constituents or consumers. 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 a full deck Slang To be of sound mind: didn't seem to be playing with a full deck. 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; see dlegh- in Indo-European roots.]
play a·bil i·ty n. playa·ble adj. |
play Verb 1. to occupy oneself in (a sport or recreation) 2. to compete against (someone) in a sport or game: I saw Brazil play Argentina recently 3. to fulfil (a particular role) in a team game: he usually plays in midfield 4. (often foll. by about, around)to behave carelessly: he's only playing with your affections, you know 5. to act the part (of) in a dramatic piece: he has played Hamlet to packed Broadway houses 6. to perform (a dramatic piece) 7. a. to perform (music) on an instrument b. to be able to perform on (a musical instrument): she plays the bassoon 8. to send out (water) or cause to send out water: they played a hose across the wrecked building 9. to cause (a radio etc.) to emit sound 10. to move freely or quickly: the light played across the water 11. Stock Exchange to speculate for gain in (a market) 12. Angling to tire (a hooked fish) by alternately letting out and reeling in the line 13. to put (a card) into play 14. to gamble 15. play fair or false with to act fairly or unfairly with 16. play for time to gain time to one's advantage by the use of delaying tactics 17. play into the hands of to act unwittingly to the advantage of (an opponent) Noun 1. a. a dramatic piece written for performance by actors b. the performance of such a piece 2. games or other activity undertaken for pleasure 3. the playing of a game or the time during which a game is in progress: rain stopped play 4. conduct: fair play 5. gambling 6. activity or operation: radio allows full play to your imagination 7. scope for freedom of movement: there was a lot of play in the rope 8. free or rapidly shifting motion: the play of light on the water 9. fun or jest: I used to throw cushions at her in play 10. in or out of play (of a ball in a game) in or not in a position for continuing play according to the rules 11. make a play for Informal to make an obvious attempt to gain (something) playable adj
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  play - a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway"drama - the literary genre of works intended for the theater theater of the absurd - plays stressing the irrational or illogical aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointless; "Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco have written plays for the theater of the absurd" act - a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet miracle play - a medieval play representing episodes from the life of a saint or martyr morality play - an allegorical play popular in the 15th and 16th centuries; characters personified virtues and vices mystery play - a medieval play representing episodes from the life of Christ satyr play - an ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrs | | 2. | play - a theatrical performance of a drama; "the play lasted two hours"show - a social event involving a public performance or entertainment; "they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway" | | 3. | play - a preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up the plays for her team"knock on - (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul) power play - (ice hockey) a play in which one team has a numerical advantage over the other as a result of penalties; "the team was unable to capitalize on the power play" | | 4. | play - a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill; "he made a great maneuver"; "the runner was out on a play by the shortstop"movement, move, motion - the act of changing location from one place to another; "police controlled the motion of the crowd"; "the movement of people from the farms to the cities"; "his move put him directly in my path" takeaway - the act of taking the ball or puck away from the team on the offense (as by the interception of a pass) figure - a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating; "she made the best score on compulsory figures" ball hawking - a skillful maneuver in catching balls or in stealing the ball from the opposing team assist - (sports) the act of enabling another player to make a good play icing the puck, icing - (ice hockey) the act of shooting the puck from within your own defensive area the length of the rink beyond the opponent's goal stroke, shot - (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot requires good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot" trap play, mousetrap - (American football) a play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked off as the runner goes through the place the lineman vacated | | 5. | play - a state in which action is feasible; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play" | | 6. | play - utilization or exercise; "the play of the imagination" | | 7. | play - an attempt to get something; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention"attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour - earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" | | 8. | play - activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child"diversion, recreation - an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" house - play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults; "the children were playing house" doctor - children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office; "the children explored each other's bodies by playing the game of doctor" fireman - play in which children pretend to put out a fire | | 9. | play - (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning"game - a contest with rules to determine a winner; "you need four people to play this game" golf hole, hole - one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course; "he played 18 holes" chukka, chukker - (polo) one of six divisions into which a polo match is divided inning, frame - (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat set - a unit of play in tennis or squash; "they played two sets of tennis after dinner" bout, round, turn - (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive first period - the first division into which the play of a game is divided second period - the second division into which the play of a game is divided final period - the final division into which the play of a game is divided half - one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval period - (ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is divided in hockey games quarter - (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided; "both teams scored in the first quarter" over - (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch | | 10. | play - the removal of constraints; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent"freedom - the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints | | 11. |  play - a weak and tremulous light; "the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water"alteration, change, modification - an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" | | 12. | play - verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"; "he said it in sport" | | 13. | play - movement or space for movement; "there was too much play in the steering wheel"wiggliness - a jerky back and forth kind of mobility; "he walked with the wiggliness of a child on high heels" slackness, slack - the quality of being loose (not taut); "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope" | | 14. |  play - 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"diversion, recreation - an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" game - frivolous or trifling behavior; "for actors, memorizing lines is no game"; "for him, life is all fun and games" teasing - playful vexation; "the parody was just a form of teasing" word play - playing on words or speech sounds | | 15. |  play - (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play"move - (game) a player's turn to take some action permitted by the rules of the game starting, start - a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning); "he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was one of their best linemen" activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity" game - a contest with rules to determine a winner; "you need four people to play this game" innings - the batting turn of a cricket player or team attack - an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning" down - (American football) a complete play to advance the football; "you have four downs to gain ten yards" at-bat, bat - (baseball) a turn trying to get a hit; "he was at bat when it happened"; "he got four hits in four at-bats" lead - the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge; "the lead was in the dummy" trumping, ruff - (card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit trick - (card games) in a single round, the sequence of cards played by all the players; the high card is the winner | | 16. |  play - the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize); "his gambling cost him a fortune"; "there was heavy play at the blackjack table"diversion, recreation - an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" wager, bet - the act of gambling; "he did it on a bet" vice - a specific form of evildoing; "vice offends the moral standards of the community" throw - casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly; "he risked his fortune on a throw of the dice" | | 17. |  play - the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfullyaction - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" fencing - the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules) | | Verb | 1. | play - participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"compete, vie, contend - compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others line up - take one's position before a kick-off curl - play the Scottish game of curling snooker - leave one's opponent unable to take a direct shot revoke - fail to follow suit when able and required to do so develop - move into a strategically more advantageous position; "develop the rook" develop - move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions; "Spassky developed quickly" die - to be on base at the end of an inning, of a player misplay - play wrong or in an unskillful manner start - play in the starting lineup fumble - drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder; "fumble a grounder" unblock - play the cards of (a suit) so that the last trick on which a hand can follow suit will be taken by a higher card in the hand of a partner who has the remaining cards of a combined holding replay - play again; "We replayed the game"; "replay a point" encounter, take on, meet, play - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" play out - play to a finish; "We have got to play this game out, even thought it is clear that we have last" field - play as a fielder catch - be the catcher; "Who is catching?" tee off - strike a ball from the teeing ground at the start of a hole ace - play (a hole) in one stroke walk - give a base on balls to bowl - engage in the sport of bowling; "My parents like to bowl on Friday nights" bandy - toss or strike a ball back and forth foul - commit a foul; break the rules put out - retire; "he was put out at third base on a long throw from left field" croquet - play a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops putt - hit a putt; "he lost because he putted so poorly" bid, call - make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands; "He called his trump" play out - play to a finish; "We have got to play this game out, even thought it is clear that we have last" | | 2. | play - 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"act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" play - behave in a certain way; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair" | | 3. | play - play on an instrument; "The band played all night long"music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner perform - give a performance (of something); "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" spiel, play - replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" swing - play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm play - perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?" play along, accompany, follow - perform an accompaniment to; "The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano" bow - play on a string instrument with a bow busk - play music in a public place and solicit money for it; "three young men were busking in the plaza" | | 4. |  play - play a role or part; "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"act as, act, play - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" make believe, pretend, make - represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like; "She makes like an actress" re-create - create anew; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" support - play a subordinate role to (another performer); "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" play - pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" act out, enact, reenact - act out; represent or perform as if in a play; "She reenacted what had happened earlier that day" act out - represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage; "She could act neurotic anxiety" impersonate, portray - assume or act the character of; "She impersonates Madonna"; "The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man" parody - make a spoof of or make fun of emote - give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role | | 5. | play - 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"frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, lark about, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, cavort, disport, sport - play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the playroom" recreate, play - engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike" act - be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure | | 6. | play - replay (as a melody); "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully"re-create - create anew; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" misplay - play incorrectly, e.g., play a wrong note fiddle - play on a violin; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely" play - play on an instrument; "The band played all night long" replay - play (a melody) again jazz - play something in the style of jazz rag - play in ragtime; "rag that old tune" slur - play smoothly or legato; "the pianist slurred the most beautiful passage in the sonata" bang out - play loudly; "They banged out `The star-spangled banner'" modulate - change the key of, in music; "modulate the melody" tongue - articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments | | 7. | play - perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner play - play on an instrument; "The band played all night long" register - manipulate the registers of an organ skirl - play the bagpipes beat - produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly; "beat the drum" tweedle - play negligently on a musical instrument chord - play chords on (a string instrument) pipe - play on a pipe; "pipe a tune" drum - play a percussion instrument harp - play the harp; "She harped the Saint-Saens beautifully" fiddle - play the violin or fiddle trumpet - play or blow on the trumpet sound - cause to sound; "sound the bell"; "sound a certain note" | | 8. |  play - pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad"behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" act, play, represent - play a role or part; "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" | | 9. | play - move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly; "The spotlights played on the politicians"go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" | | 10. | play - bet or wager (money); "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"underplay - play a card lower than (a held high card) play - make bets; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" | | 11. | play - engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike"play - 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" | | 12. | play - pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians"act, play, represent - play a role or part; "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" sham, feign, simulate, assume - make a pretence of; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep" | | 13. | play - emit recorded sound; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"run, play - 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" sound - give off a certain sound or sounds; "This record sounds scratchy" | | 14. | play - perform on a certain location; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"perform - give a performance (of something); "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" | | 15. | play - 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"play - employ in a game or in a specific position; "They played him on first base" play - use or move; "I had to play my queen" deploy - place troops or weapons in battle formation pitch - lead (a card) and establish the trump suit cover - play a higher card than the one previously played; "Smith covered again" declare - designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand | | 16. |  play - 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"behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" | | 17. | play - behave in a certain way; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair"act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" play - 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" | | 18. | play - 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"run - cause to perform; "run a subject"; "run a process" play - emit recorded sound; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" execute, run - carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine; "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction" | | 19. |  play - manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate"manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it | | 20. | play - use to one's advantage; "She plays on her clients' emotions"exploit, work - use or manipulate to one's advantage; "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy" | | 21. |  play - consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"look at, deal, consider, take - take into consideration for exemplifying purposes; "Take the case of China"; "Consider the following case" dally, toy, flirt, play - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection" | | 22. | play - 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" | | 23. |  play - behave carelessly or indifferently; "Play about with a young girl's affection"trifle, dally, play - consider not very seriously; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" | | 24. | play - cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space; "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"move, displace - cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense; "Move those boxes into the corner, please"; "I'm moving my money to another bank"; "The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant" | | 25. |  play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'"perform - give a performance (of something); "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" play - perform on a certain location; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" play - be performed or presented for public viewing; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" act, play, represent - play a role or part; "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" stooge - act as the stooge; "His role was to stooge for the popular comedian" pantomime, mime - act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only; "The acting students mimed eating an apple" act - be suitable for theatrical performance; "This scene acts well" | | 26. | play - be performed or presented for public viewing; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"debut - appear for the first time in public; "The new ballet that debuts next months at Covent Garden, is already sold out" playact, roleplay, act, play - perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" | | 27. | play - cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"create, make - make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" work, act - have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water" | | 28. | play - discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream; "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day"discharge - pour forth or release; "discharge liquids" | | 29. | play - make bets; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville"play - bet or wager (money); "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races" wager, bet, play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" wager, bet, play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" | | 30. |  play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"play - make bets; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" play - make bets; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" raise - bet more than the previous player see - match or meet; "I saw the bet of one of my fellow players" | | 31. | play - shoot or hit in a particular manner; "She played a good backhand last night"encounter, take on, meet, play - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" hook - secure with the foot; "hook the ball" hit - cause to move by striking; "hit a ball" | | 32. | play - use or move; "I had to play my queen"encounter, take on, meet, play - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" promote - change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent play - 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" apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize - put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" | | 33. | play - employ in a game or in a specific position; "They played him on first base"encounter, take on, meet, play - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" play - 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" apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize - put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" | | 34. | play - contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary"play - participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" confront, face - oppose, as in hostility or a competition; "You must confront your opponent"; "Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring"; "The two enemies finally confronted each other" play - employ in a game or in a specific position; "They played him on first base" play - use or move; "I had to play my queen" play - shoot or hit in a particular manner; "She played a good backhand last night" replay - repeat a game against the same opponent; "Princeton replayed Harvard" | | 35. | play - exhaust by allowing to pull on the line; "play a hooked fish" |
play verb 1. amuse yourself, have fun, frolic, sport, fool, romp, revel, trifle, caper, frisk, gambol, entertain yourself, engage in games verb 2. take part in, be involved in, engage in, participate in, compete in, be in a team for verb 6. perform on, strum, make music on noun 8. amusement, pleasure, leisure, games, sport, fun, entertainment, relaxation, a good time, recreation, enjoyment, romping, larks, capering, frolicking, junketing, fun and games, revelry, skylarking, living it up ( informal) gambolling, horseplay, merrymaking, me-time noun 9. drama, show, performance, piece, comedy, entertainment, tragedy, farce, soap opera, soapie or soapie Austral. ( slang) pantomime, stage show, television drama, radio play, masque, dramatic piece >> in play in or for fun, for sport, for a joke, for a lark ( informal) as a prank, for a jest play at something pretend to be, pose as, impersonate, make like U.S., Canad. ( informal) profess to be, assume the role of, give the appearance of, masquerade as, pass yourself off as play on or upon something take advantage of, abuse, exploit, impose on, trade on, misuse, milk, make use of, utilize, profit by, capitalize on, turn to your account play up 1. Brit. ( informal) hurt, be painful, bother you, trouble you, be sore, pain you, give you trouble, give you gyp Brit., N.Z. ( slang) 2. Brit. ( informal) malfunction, not work properly, be on the blink ( slang) be wonky Brit. ( slang) 3. Brit. ( informal) be awkward, misbehave, give trouble, be disobedient, give someone grief Brit., S. African be stroppy Brit. ( slang) be bolshie Brit. ( informal) play up to someone ( Informal) butter up, flatter, pander to, crawl to, get in with, suck up to ( informal) curry favour with, toady, fawn over, keep someone sweet, bootlick ( informal) ingratiate yourself to  Translations play [pleɪ] n ( gen) → juego; to play safe → ir a lo seguro; they're playing at soldiers → están jugando a (los) soldados; to play into sb's hands ( fig) → hacerle el juego a algn; a smile played on his lips → una sonrisa le bailaba en los labiosplay about, play around vi [ person] → hacer el tonto; to play about or around with (= fiddle with) → juguetear con [+ idea]; darle vueltas aplay along vi to play along with → seguirle el juego a vt to play sb along ( fig) → jugar con algn play on vt fus [+ sb's feelings, credulity] → aprovecharse de; to play on sb's nerves → atacarle los nervios a algn
 play [pleɪ] n → jeu m; ( Theat) → pièce f (de théâtre)play on words → jeu de mots; they're playing at soldiers → ils jouent aux soldats; to play into sb's hands ( fig) → faire le jeu de qnplay about, play around vi [ person] → s'amuser play along vi (fig); play on vt fus [+ sb's feelings, credulity] → jouer sur; play up vi (= cause trouble) → faire des siennes
 play [pleɪ] n ( Theat) → (Theater)stück nt; (TV) → Fernsehspiel nt; to play a trick on sb → jdn hereinlegen; to play into sb's hands → jdm in die Hände spielenplay around with play vt fus (= fiddle with) → herumspielen mit play at play vt fus (= do casually) → spielen mit; to play at being sb/sth → jdn/etw spielenplay down play vt → herunterspielen play on play vt fus [+ sb's feelings etc] → ausnutzen; to play on sb's mind play → jdm im Kopf herumgehenplay up play vi [ machine, knee etc] → Schwierigkeiten machen; [ children] → frech werden
 play [pleɪ] n → gioco; play on words → gioco di parole; they're playing at soldiers → stanno giocando ai soldati; to play into sb's hands ( fig) → fare il gioco di qnplay about play around vi [person] → divertirsi; play on vt fus [+ sb's feelings, credulity] → giocare su; to play on sb's nerves → dare sui nervi a qnplay up vi (= cause trouble) → fare i capricci
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