play

participate in games or sport

• “We played hockey all afternoon”
• “play cards”
• “Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches”

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”

play on an instrument

• “The band played all night long”

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”

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”

replay (as a melody)

• “Play it again, Sam”
• “She played the third movement very beautifully”

perform music on (a musical instrument)

• “He plays the flute”
• “Can you play on this old recorder?”

pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind

• “He acted the idiot”
• “She plays deaf when the news are bad”

move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly

• “The spotlights played on the politicians”

bet or wager (money)

• “He played $20 on the new horse”
• “She plays the races”

engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion

• “On weekends I play”
• “The students all recreate alike”

pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity

• “Let”
• “;”

emit recorded sound

• “The tape was playing for hours”
• “the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered”

perform on a certain location

• “The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16”
• “She has been playing on Broadway for years”

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”

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 in a certain way

• “play safe”
• “play it safe”
• “play fair”

cause to emit recorded sounds

• “They ran the tapes over and over again”
• “Can you play my favorite record?”

manipulate manually or in one''s mind or imagination

• “She played nervously with her wedding ring”
• “Don”
• “;”

use to one''s advantage

• “She plays on her clients”

consider not very seriously

• “He is trifling with her”
• “She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania”

be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way

• “This speech didn”
• “;”

behave carelessly or indifferently

• “Play about with a young girl”

cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space

• “The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack”

perform on a stage or theater

• “She acts in this play”
• “He acted in”
• “";”
• “A Christmas Carol”

be performed

• “What”
• “;”
• “has been playing on Broadway for many years”

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”

discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream

• “play water from a hose”
• “The fountains played all day”

make bets

• “Play the reaces”
• “play the casinos in Trouville”

stake on the outcome of an issue

• “I bet $100 on that new horse”
• “She played all her money on the dark horse”

shoot or hit in a particular manner

• “She played a good backhand last night”

use or move

• “I had to play my queen”

employ in a game or in a specific position

• “They played him on first base”

contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle

• “Princeton plays Yale this weekend”
• “Charlie likes to play Mary”

exhaust by allowing to pull on the line

• “play a hooked fish”

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

• “he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway”

a theatrical performance of a drama

• “the play lasted two hours”

a preset plan of action in team sports

• “the coach drew up the plays for her team”

a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill

• “he made a great maneuver”
• “the runner was out on a play by the shortstop”

a state in which action is feasible

• “the ball was still in play”
• “insiders said the company”

utilization or exercise

• “the play of the imagination”

an attempt to get something

• “they made a futile play for power”
• “he made a bid to gain attention”

play by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules

• “Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child”

(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds

• “rain stopped play in the 4th inning”

the removal of constraints

• “he gave free rein to his impulses”
• “they gave full play to the artist”

a weak and tremulous light

• “the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers”
• “the play of light on the water”

verbal wit (often at another''s expense but not to be taken seriously)

• “he became a figure of fun”

movement or space for movement

• “there was too much play in the steering wheel”

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”

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”

the activity of doing something in an agreed succession

• “it is my turn”
• “it is still my play”

the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully