1. Participate in a game or sport
   "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"
    
2. Act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome
   "I played no role in your dismissal"; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"
    
3. 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"
    
4. Perform music using musical instruments
   "The band played all night long"
    
5. (music) perform music on (a musical instrument)
   "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
    
6. Perform a role or part
   "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She played the servant to her husband's master";
   - act, represent
    
7. Pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind
   "She plays deaf when the news are bad";
   - act, act as
    
8. Replay (as a melody)
   "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully";
   - spiel
    
9. Engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion
   "On weekends I play";
   - recreate
    
10. Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
    "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary";
    - meet, encounter, take on
     
11. (performing arts) perform on a certain location
    "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"
     
12. Emit recorded sound
    "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
     
13. Pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity
    "Play cowboy and Indians"; "Let's play like I am mommy"
     
14. 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"
     
15. Bet or wager (money)
    "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
     
16. Make bets
    "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville"
     
17. Move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly
    "The spotlights played on the politicians"
     
18. Deal with something casually or playfully rather than seriously
    "they playd with the idea of moving to Florida";
    - toy, dally, flirt
     
19. Behave in a certain way
    "play fair"; "play safe"; "play it safe"
     
20. Cause to emit recorded audio or video
    "I'll play you my favourite record"; "He never tires of playing that video";
    - run
     
21. Handle or manipulate something idly or absentmindedly
    "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate";
    - toy, fiddle
     
22. Use to one's advantage
    "She plays on her clients' emotions"
     
23. Consider not very seriously
    "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania";
    - dally, trifle
     
24. Be received, 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"
     
25. Cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space
    "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
     
26. Perform on a stage or theatre
    "She acts in this play"; "I played in ‘A Christmas Carol’"; "She playacts in this play";
    - act, playact
     
27. (performing arts) be performed or presented for public viewing
    "What's playing in the local movie theatre?"; "‘Cats’ has been playing on Broadway for many years"
     
28. Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence
    "play a joke";
    - bring, work, wreak, make for
     
29. Discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream
    "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day"
     
30. Stake money or something else of value on the outcome of an unpredictable event or disputed issue
    "She played all her money on the dark horse";
    - bet, wager
     
31. Shoot or hit in a particular manner
    "She played a good backhand last night"
     
32. Use or move
    "I had to play my queen"
     
33. Employ in a game or in a specific position
    "They played him on first base"
     
34. Exhaust by allowing to pull on the line
    "play a hooked fish"
     
35. Manipulate or exploit a system to one's advantage, esp. in an unfair way
    "he playd the ranking system by including free downloads";
    - game

1. A dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
   "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway";
   - drama, dramatic play, stageplay, stage play
    
2. A theatrical performance of a drama
   "the play lasted two hours"
    
3. A preset plan of action in team sports
   "the coach drew up the plays for her team"
    
4. A deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill
   "the runner was out on a play by the shortstop";
   - maneuver [US], manoeuvre [Brit, Cdn]
    
5. Activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules
   "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child";
   - child's play [informal]
    
6. Gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement
   "it was all done in play";
   - frolic, romp, gambol, caper [informal]
    
7. The act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
   "there was heavy play at the blackjack table";
   - gambling, gaming, betting
    
8. Utilization or exercise
   "the play of the imagination"
    
9. An attempt to get something
   "they made a futile play for power";
   - bid
    
10. A state in which action is feasible
    "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play"
     
11. (in games, plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds
    "rain stopped play in the 4th inning"; "The first period of play of the hockey game lasted 20 minutes";
    - playing period, period of play
     
12. The removal of constraints
    "they gave full play to the artist's talent";
    - free rein
     
13. A weak and tremulous light
    "the play of light on the water";
    - shimmer
     
14. Verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously)
    "His teasing was just in play";
    - fun, sport
     
15. Movement or space for movement
    "there was too much play in the steering wheel";
    - looseness
     
16. (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession
    "it is still my play";
    - turn
     
17. The act of using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skilfully
    "The movie featured impressive play during the duel scene";
    - swordplay

Derived forms: played, plays, playing

See also: play out, played, think about

Type of: acquit, act, action, activeness, activity, alteration, amount, appear, apply, assume, attempt, bear, beat [informal], begin, behave, carry, change, compete, comport, conduct, consider, contend, create, deport, discharge, displace, diversion, do, dramatic composition, dramatic work, drollness, effort, employ, employment, endeavor [US], endeavour [Brit, Cdn], exercise, exhaust, exploit, feign, freedom, gamble, get, get down, go, hit, humor [US], humour [Brit, Cdn], locomote, look, look at, make, manipulate, measure, modification, motion, movability, movableness, move, movement, perform, plan of action, quantity, recreate, re-create, recreation, seem, set about, set out, sham, show, simulate, sound, start, start out, take, travel, try, tucker [N. Amer, informal], tucker out [N. Amer, informal], usage, use, utilisation [Brit], utilise [Brit], utilization, utilize, vice, vie, wash up, wit, witticism, wittiness, work

Part of: athletic game

Encyclopedia: Play, Pierre-Guillaume-Frédéric Le