ENGLISH
REFERENCE

play

v. · n.
US //ˈpɫeɪ// UK //plˈeɪ// play
  1. 1 to have fun (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to do something for fun or enjoyment, especially for children.

    to engage in activity for recreation or amusement rather than for a serious or practical purpose.

    Example

    The children were playing in the garden with their new toys.

    Example

    The kittens spent the entire afternoon playing with a ball of yarn, practicing the pouncing skills they would later need for hunting.
  2. 2 to participate in a sport (v.)
    A1 Beginner Sport

    to take part in a game or sport.

    to participate in a competitive game or exercise; transitive when followed by the name of the sport.

    Example

    We usually play tennis on Saturday mornings if the weather is good.

    Example

    He has played professional basketball for over a decade, earning several championship rings during his tenure with the city's primary team.
    Pitfall
    I play the football every weekend.
    I play football every weekend.

    Do not use 'the' before the name of a sport when using the verb 'play'.

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  1. 3 to perform music (v.)
    A1 Beginner Music

    to make music with an instrument like a piano or guitar.

    to produce music by manual or mechanical operation of an instrument.

    Example

    She started to play the piano when she was only five years old.

    Example

    The orchestra began to play the symphony with such precision that the audience remained perfectly silent until the final note faded.
    Pitfall
    She plays guitar very well.
    She plays the guitar very well.

    In most English dialects, use 'the' before the name of a musical instrument when talking about the ability to play it.

  2. 4 to act a role (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Theatre

    to act as a character in a movie or a show.

    to represent a character in a theatrical or cinematic performance.

    Example

    He is going to play the hero in the school's end-of-year show.

    Example

    The actress was chosen to play the lead role because of her unique ability to convey complex emotions through subtle facial expressions.
  3. 5 to start media (v.)
    A2 Elementary Computing

    to make a video or song start so you can watch or hear it.

    to cause a recorded medium to emit its content.

    Example

    Can you play that song again? I really like the lyrics.

    Example

    The software is designed to play high-definition video files without stuttering, even on older hardware configurations.
  4. 6 to trick someone (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang

    to trick or deceive someone for your own advantage.

    to manipulate or deceive a person for personal gain or amusement.

    Example

    I realized too late that he was just playing me to get the money.

    Example

    The con artist had been playing the investors for months, providing them with fraudulent documents to hide the fact that their money was gone.
  5. 7 theatrical show (n.)
    A2 Elementary Theatre

    a story that is written for actors to perform on a stage.

    a dramatic composition or performance intended for the stage.

    Example

    We went to see a Shakespeare play at the local theatre last night.

    Example

    The new play received rave reviews from critics, who praised the innovative staging and the powerful dialogue between the two main characters.
  6. 8 recreation (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    time spent having fun or being active, especially for children.

    activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.

    Example

    The teacher told the students that it was time for play.

    Example

    Child psychologists emphasize that unstructured play is essential for the cognitive and social development of young children.
  7. 9 freedom of movement (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Technical

    the amount of space something has to move within a machine or part.

    the amount of space for movement allowed by a mechanism; physical tolerance or slack.

    Example

    There is too much play in the steering wheel, so it feels loose.

    Example

    The engineer adjusted the gears to reduce the play, ensuring that the mechanical arm would move with greater precision during the assembly process.
  8. 10 a specific move (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a specific action or plan in a game or business.

    a calculated move or maneuver in a game, sport, or strategic situation.

    Example

    That was a clever play to win the game in the final minute.

    Example

    The company's acquisition of the smaller startup was seen as a strategic play to dominate the emerging green energy market.
Origin

From Middle English pleyen, playen, pleȝen, plæien, also Middle English plaȝen, plawen (compare English plaw), from Old English pleġan, pleoġan, plæġan, and Old English plegian, pleagian, plagian (“to play, exercise, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic plehan (“to care about, be concerned with”) and Proto-West Germanic plegōn (“to engage, move”), of uncertain origin. cognates and related terms Cognate with Scots play (“to act or move briskly, cause to move, stir”), Saterland Frisian pleegje (“to look after, care for, maintain”), West Frisian pleegje, pliigje (“to commit, perform, bedrive”), Middle Dutch pleyen ("to dance, leap for joy, rejoice, be glad"; compare Modern Dutch pleien (“to play a particular children's game”)), Dutch plegen (“to commit, bedrive, practice”), German pflegen (“to care for, be concerned with, attend to, tend”). Related also to Old English plēon (“to risk, endanger”). More at plight, pledge. The noun is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, plega, plæġa (“play, quick motion, movement, exercise; (athletic) sport, game; festivity, drama; battle; gear for games, an implement for a game; clapping with the hands, applause”), deverbative of plegian (“to play”); see above.

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