English [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
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 ” ) ; both perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *blek- ( “ to move, move about ” ) , from Proto-Indo-European *bal- (compare Ancient Greek βλύω ( blúō ) , βλύζω ( blúzō , “ I gush out, spring ” ) , Sanskrit बल्बलीति ( balbalīti , “ it whirls, twirls ” ) ).
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.
Pronunciation [ edit ]
play (third-person singular simple present plays , present participle playing , simple past and past participle played )
( intransitive ) To act in a manner such that one has fun ; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment .
They played long and hard.
2001 , Sabloff, Annabelle, Reordering the Natural World , Univ. of Toronto Press, page 83:A youngster [ …] listed some of the things his pet did not do: [ …] go on vacation, play in the same way that he did with his friends, and so on.
2003 , Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont et al. (eds.), Joining Society: Social Interaction and Learning in Adolescence and Youth , Cambridge Univ. Press, p.52:
We had to play for an hour, so that meant that we didn't have time to play and joke around.
( transitive , intransitive ) To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
Hypernym: try
Hyponym: replay
He plays on three teams
Who's playing now?
play football
play sports
play games
( transitive ) To compete against, in a game.
We're playing one of the top teams in the next round.
2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain ”, in BBC Sport :England will not be catapulted among the favourites for Euro 2012 as a result of this win, but no victory against Spain is earned easily and it is right they take great heart from their efforts as they now prepare to play Sweden at Wembley on Tuesday.
( transitive ) (in the scoring of games and sports) To be the opposing score to.
Look at the score now ... 23 plays 8!
( intransitive ) To take part in amorous activity; to make love .
Synonyms: get it on , make out , have sex ; see also Thesaurus:copulate
To gamble .
1791 , Charlotte Smith , Celestina , Broadview 2004, p. 407:
“I play, comparatively, very little; I don't drink a fifth part so much as half the people I live with; and I reckon myself, upon the whole, a very orderly, sober fellow.”
( transitive ) To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance.
He plays the King, and she’s the Queen.
No part of the brain plays the role of permanent memory.
1984 , Chris Robinson , commercial for Vicks Formula 44:
I'm not a doctor, but I do play one on TV.
( heading, transitive , intransitive ) To produce music or theatre.
( intransitive , of a music ) To produce music.
Synonyms: cook , jam ; see also Thesaurus:play music
2007 , Dan Erlewine, Guitar Player Repair Guide , →ISBN , page 220:If your guitar plays well on fretted strings but annoys you on the open ones, the nut's probably worn out.
( intransitive , especially of a person) To produce music using a musical instrument.
I've practiced the piano off and on, but I still can't play very well.
( transitive , especially of a person) To produce music (or a specified song or musical style) using (a specified musical instrument).
I'll play the piano and you sing.
Can you play an instrument?
We especially like to play jazz together.
Play a song for me.
Do you know how to play Für Elise?
My son thinks he can play music.
( transitive , ergative ) To use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording.
You can play the DVD now.
( intransitive , of a theatrical performance) To be performed; ( or of a film ) to be shown.
His latest film is playing in the local theatre tomorrow.
( transitive , of a theatrical company or band, etc.) To perform in or at; to give performances in or at.
2008 , My Life: From Normandy to Hockeytown , →ISBN , page 30:I got a hold of Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong's agent and I explained to him on the phone that, "I know you're playing London on Wednesday night. Why don't you come and play the Arena in Windsor on Saturday night?"
( transitive ) To act or perform (a play).
to play a comedy
( heading ) To behave in a particular way.
( copulative ) Contrary to fact, to give an appearance of being.
1985 , Sharon S. Brehm, Intimate Relationships :
Playing hard to get is not the same as slamming the door in someone's face.
1996 , Michael P. Malone, James J Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest :
Now, surveying his final link, he had the nice advantage of being able to play coy with established port cities that desperately wanted his proven railroad.
2003 , John U. Ogbu, Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement , p.194:
Instead, they played dumb, remained silent, and did their classwork.
( intransitive ) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless.
a. 1700 , William Temple , “Of Health and Long-life”, in Miscellanea. The Third Part. [...] , London: [ … ] Jonathan Swift , [ … ] Benjamin Tooke, [ … ] , published 1701, OCLC 23640974 , page 167 :Thus Men are apt to play with their Healths and their Lives as they do with their Cloaths: [...]
( intransitive ) To act; to behave; to practice deception.
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare , “The Merchant of Venice ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [ … ] (First Folio ), London: [ … ] Isaac Iaggard , and Ed[ward] Blount , published 1623, OCLC 606515358 , [Act I, scene ii]:His mother played false with a smith.
( transitive ) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute.
to play tricks
1667 , John Milton , “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. [ … ] , London: [ … ] [Samuel Simmons ], [ … ] , OCLC 228722708 ; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: [ … ] , London: Basil Montagu Pickering [ … ] , 1873, OCLC 230729554 :Nature here Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will Her virgin fancies.
1920 , Mary Roberts Rinehart ; Avery Hopwood , chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company , OCLC 20230794 :The Bat—they called him the Bat. [ …] . He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
( African-American Vernacular , intransitive ) To kid ; to joke ; say something for amusement .
2016 , Styles, T., “seventeen”, in Clown Niggas [1] , United States of America: The Cartel Publications, →ISBN , LCCN 2016942703 , page 161 :He grew serious. “Sorry, E.M. Just fucking around.” “Well, I don’t play like that and you know it.”
( transitive , intransitive ) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate.
The fountain plays .
He played the torch beam around the room.
1705 , George Cheyne , Philosophical Principles of Religion :
The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs play .
The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it.
1972 , Ian Anderson (lyrics), “Thick As A Brick ”, performed by Jethro Tull :The Poet and the Painter Casting shadows on the water As the sun plays on the infantry Returning from the sea.
( intransitive ) To move to and fro .
c. 1590–1592 , William Shakespeare , “The Taming of the Shrew ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [ … ] (First Folio ), London: [ … ] Isaac Iaggard , and Ed[ward] Blount , published 1623, OCLC 606515358 , [Act INDUCTION, scene ii]:the waving sedges play with wind
1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison , Cato, a Tragedy. [ … ] , London: [ … ] J[acob] Tonson , [ … ] , published 1713, OCLC 79426475 , Act I, scene v, page 1 :
The setting sun Plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets.
( transitive ) To put in action or motion.
to play cannon upon a fortification
to play a trump in a card game
( transitive ) To keep in play , as a hooked fish in order to land it.
( transitive , colloquial ) To manipulate , deceive , or swindle someone.
Synonym: defraud
You played me!
2020 , “Ballad Of You & I”, performed by Hotel Lux:If this our song, you're the composer I'm not a game, but you play me anyway
Conjugation [ edit ]
Translations [ edit ]
act in a manner such that one has fun
Afrikaans: speel (af)
Aleut: mikal
Arabic: لَعِبَ (ar) ( laʿiba )
Egyptian Arabic: لعب ( liʿib )
Hijazi Arabic: لعب ( liʿib )
Aragonese: chugar (an)
Aramaic:
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܛܲܐܸܠ ( ṭāel )
Syriac: ܫܥܐ ( šʿa )
Armenian: խաղալ (hy) ( xałal )
Aromanian: gioc
Assamese: খেলা ( khela )
Asturian: xugar (ast)
Azerbaijani: oynamaq (az)
Bashkir: уйнау ( uynaw )
Basque: jokatu
Belarusian: граць impf ( hracʹ ) , ігра́ць impf ( ihrácʹ )
Bengali: খেলা (bn) ( khela )
Bikol Central: kawat (bcl)
Bulgarian: игра́я (bg) impf ( igrája )
Burmese: ဆော့ (my) ( hcau. )
Catalan: jugar (ca)
Chickasaw: chokoshkomo
Chinese:
Cantonese: 玩 ( waan2 )
Mandarin: 玩 (zh) ( wán ) , 玩兒 (zh) , 玩儿 (zh) ( wánr ) , 玩耍 (zh) ( wánshuǎ )
Min Nan: 𨑨迌 (zh-min-nan) ( chhit-thô, thit-thô )
Chukchi: увичвэтык
Corsican: ghjucà (co)
Czech: hrát (cs) impf
Danish: lege
Dolgan: оойноо ( ooynoo ) , оойньоо ( ooyńoo )
Dutch: spelen (nl)
Esperanto: ludi (eo)
Estonian: mängima
Evenki: эви- ( əwi- )
Faroese: spæla (fo) , leika (fo)
Finnish: leikkiä (fi) ( usually of children ) , telmiä (fi) ( of physical activity ) , pitää hauskaa (fi)
French: jouer (fr) , s'amuser (fr)
Old French: joer
Middle French: iouer , jouer
Friulian: zuiâ , ğujâ
Galician: xogar
Georgian: თამაში ( tamaši ) , თამაშობა ( tamašoba )
German: spielen (de)
Alemannic German: schpile
Greek: παίζω (el) ( paízo )
Ancient: παίζω ( paízō ) , ἀθύρω ( athúrō )
Greenlandic: pinnguarpoq
Guaraní: ñembosarái
Hebrew: שִׂחֵק / שיחק (he) ( sikhék ) , השתעשע ( hishta'ashéa )
Hindi: खेलना (hi) ( khelnā )
Hungarian: játszik (hu)
Hunsrik: spiele
Icelandic: leika (is) , leika sér (is)
Indonesian: bermain (id) , main (id) , memainkan (id) ( transitive only )
Interlingua: jocar
Irish: imir , súgradh
Italian: giocare (it)
Japanese: 遊ぶ (ja) ( あそぶ, asobu )
Javanese: dolan (jv)
Kalmyk: наадх ( naadh )
Kambera: pajulu
Karelian: elostua
Kashmiri: گِنٛدُن ( gindun )
Kashubian: grac
Kazakh: ойнау ( oinau )
Khakas: ойнирға ( oynirğa )
Khmer: លេង (km) ( leing )
Korean: 놀다 (ko) ( nolda )
Kumyk: ойнамакъ ( oynamaq )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: یاری کردن ( yarî kirdin )
Kyrgyz: ойноо (ky) ( oynoo )
Laboya: maleng
Ladino: djugar , djuguar
Lao: ຫຼິ້ນ ( lin )
Latgalian: kaitavuot
Latin: lūdō (la) , iocō
Latvian: spēlēt
Ligurian: zugâ
Lingala: kosakana
Lingao: ȵam¹
Lithuanian: žaisti (lt)
Lombard: giugà (lmo)
Low German:
German Low German: spelen
Lushootseed: ʔukʷukʷ , č̓aʔa
Macedonian: игра impf ( igra )
Malay: bermain
Malayalam: കളിക്കുക (ml) ( kaḷikkuka )
Manchu: ᡝᡶᡳᠮᠪᡳ ( efimbi )
Marathi: खेळणे ( kheḷṇe )
Mongolian: тоглох (mn) ( toglox )
Mòcheno: spiln
Navajo: naashné
Neapolitan: pazzià
Nepali: खेल्नु (ne) ( khelnu )
Ngazidja Comorian: utsapvuha
Ngunawal: woggabaliri
Norman: jouer
Norwegian: leke (no)
Occitan: jogar (oc) , jugar (oc)
O'odham: cicwi
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: играти impf ( igrati )
Old East Slavic: играти impf ( igrati )
Old English: lācan , gamenian , plegan , spilian
Old Portuguese: jogar
Pashto: لوبې کول (ps) ( lobe kawəl ) , لوبول ( lobawəl )
Persian: بازی کردن (fa) ( bâzi kardan )
Picard: jouer
Polish: grać (pl) impf , bawić się (pl) impf
Portuguese: jogar (pt) , brincar (pt)
Quechua: pukllay , awsay , pukllai
Romani: khelel
Romanian: juca (ro)
Romansch: giugar
Russian: игра́ть (ru) impf ( igrátʹ ) , поигра́ть (ru) pf ( poigrátʹ ) , играться (ru) ( igratʹsja )
Sanskrit: खेलति (sa) ( khelati ) , क्रीडति (sa) ( krīḍati )
Sardinian: giogae , giogai , giogare , zogare
Scottish Gaelic: cluich , ( children ) cleasaich
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: и̏грати impf
Roman: ȉgrati (sh) impf
Shan: လဵၼ်ႈ (shn) ( lāen )
Sicilian: giucari (scn) , jucari (scn)
Slovak: hrať impf
Slovene: igráti (sl) impf
Somali: ciyaarid
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: graś impf
Upper Sorbian: hrać impf , zahrać pf
Southern Altai: ойноор ( oynoor )
Spanish: jugar (es)
Sundanese: ameng (su)
Swedish: leka (sv)
Tagalog: maglaro
Tajik: бозӣ кардан ( bozī kardan )
Tamil: விளையாடு (ta) ( viḷaiyāṭu )
Tausug: panayam
Telugu: ఆడు (te) ( āḍu )
Thai: เล่น (th) ( lên )
Tibetan: རྩེད་མོ་རྩེ ( rtsed mo rtse )
Tocharian B: kāñm-
Tofa: ойнаар ( oynaar )
Tok Pisin: pilai
Turkish: oynamak (tr)
Turkmen: oýnamak
Tuvan: ойнаар ( oynaar )
Ukrainian: гра́ти (uk) impf ( hráty ) , гра́тися (uk) impf ( hrátysja ) , ба́витися (uk) impf ( bávytysja )
Urdu: کھیلنا ( khelnā )
Uyghur: ئوينىماق ( oynimaq )
Uzbek: oʻynamoq (uz)
Venetian: xugar (vec) , zugar , xogar , zogar (vec)
Vietnamese: chơi (vi)
Walloon: djouwer (wa)
Welsh: chwarae (cy)
Westrobothnian: läjjkes
Yakut: оонньоо ( oonńoo )
Yiddish: שפּילן ( shpiln )
Yucatec Maya: báaxal
Zealandic: spele , speule
produce music using a musical instrument (transitive sense), affecting a noun
Arabic: عَزَفَ ( ʿazafa )
Armenian: նվագել (hy) ( nvagel )
Assamese: বজোৱা ( bozüa ) , বোৱা ( büa )
Azerbaijani: çalmaq (az)
Bashkir: уйнау ( uynaw ) , тартыу ( tartıw )
Basque: jo (eu)
Belarusian: граць impf ( hracʹ )
Bengali: বাজানো (bn) ( bajano )
Bulgarian: свиря (bg) impf ( svirja )
Catalan: tocar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 演奏 (zh) ( yǎnzòu ) , ( string instruments including piano ) 彈 (zh) , 弹 (zh) ( tán ) &( formal ) 彈奏 (zh) , 弹奏 (zh) ( tánzòu ) , ( string instruments with a bow such as violin ) 拉 (zh) ( lā ) , ( wind instruments ) 吹 (zh) ( chuī ) &( formal ) 吹奏 (zh) ( chuīzòu ) , ( percussion instruments, especially gong ) 敲 (zh) ( qiāo ) , ( percussion instruments, especially drum ) 打 (zh) ( dǎ )
Danish: spille på (da)
Dolgan: оойноо ( ooynoo ) , оойньоо ( ooyńoo )
Dutch: spelen (nl) , bespelen (nl)
Esperanto: muziki per , ludi (eo)
Estonian: mängida
Faroese: leika (fo) , spæla (fo)
Finnish: soittaa (fi)
French: jouer de (fr)
Galician: tocar (gl) , tanguer (gl)
Georgian: უკრავს ( uḳravs )
German: spielen (de)
Greek: παίζω (el) ( paízo )
Guaraní: mbopu
Hebrew: ניגן (ב־) ( nigén (b'-) )
Hindi: बजाना (hi) ( bajānā )
Hungarian: játszik (hu) ( noun specifying instrument in superessive case )
Icelandic: spila , spila á
Ido: plear (io)
Indonesian: bermain (id) , memainkan (id) , membunyikan (id)
Irish: seinn
Italian: suonare (it)
Japanese: えんそうする (ja) ( えんそうする, ensō suru ) , 奏でる (ja) ( かなでる, kanaderu ) ( string instruments including piano ) 弾く (ja) ( ひく, hiku ) , ( wind instruments ) 吹く (ja) ( ふく, fuku ) , ( drums ) 叩く (ja) ( たたく, tataku )
Javanese: dolanan (jv)
Karelian: soittua
Khmer: ដេញ (km) ( dəñ )
Kumyk: сокъмакъ ( soqmaq )
Latgalian: spieļuot
Latin: cano (la)
Latvian: spēlēt
Lithuanian: groti
Macedonian: свири ( sviri )
Maltese: daqq
Maori: whakatangi
Middle English: pleyen , singen
Norman: jouer , sonner
Occitan: tocar (oc)
Old English: lācan , gliwian
Pashto: ږغول (ps) ( ģağawəl )
Polish: grać na (pl) impf , muzykować na (pl) impf ( + locative )
Portuguese: tocar (pt)
Quechua: takiy (qu)
Romanian: cânta (ro) (la)
Russian: игра́ть (ru) impf ( igrátʹ ) , поигра́ть (ru) pf ( poigrátʹ ) (+ на ( na ) + prepositional case )
Serbo-Croatian: svirati (sh)
Slovak: hrať
Slovene: igrati (sl)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: graś impf
Spanish: tocar (es)
Swedish: spela (sv)
Tagalog: tumugtog
Thai: เล่น (th) ( lên )
Turkish: çalmak (tr)
Ukrainian: гра́ти (uk) impf ( hráty )
Urdu: بجانا ( bajānā )
Yakut: оонньоо ( oonńoo )
produce music using a musical instrument (intransitive sense, not affecting a noun)
Arabic: عَزَفَ ( ʿazafa )
Armenian: նվագել (hy) ( nvagel )
Assamese: বজা ( boza )
Azerbaijani: çalmaq (az)
Bashkir: уйнау ( uynaw )
Catalan: tocar (ca)
Cherokee: ᎧᏃᎩᏍᏗᎭ ( kanogisdiha )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 演奏 (zh) ( yǎnzòu ) , ( string instruments including piano ) 彈 (zh) , 弹 (zh) ( tán ) &( formal ) 彈奏 (zh) , 弹奏 (zh) ( tánzòu ) , ( string instruments with a bow such as violin ) 拉 (zh) ( lā ) , ( wind instruments ) 吹 (zh) ( chuī ) &( formal ) 吹奏 (zh) ( chuīzòu ) , ( percussion instruments, especially gong ) 敲 (zh) ( qiāo ) , ( percussion instruments, especially drum ) 打 (zh) ( dǎ )
Czech: hrát (cs)
Danish: spille (da)
Dolgan: оойноо ( ooynoo ) , оойньоо ( ooyńoo )
Dutch: spelen (nl)
Esperanto: muziki
Faroese: leika (fo) , spæla (fo)
Finnish: soittaa (fi)
French: jouer (fr)
Galician: tocar (gl)
German: spielen (de)
Greek: παίζω (el) ( paízo )
Hebrew: ניגן ( nigén )
Hungarian: játszik (hu)
Icelandic: spila
Ido: pleigar
Indonesian: bermusik (id)
Japanese: 演奏する (ja) ( えんそうする, ensō suru )
Javanese: nggitar ( for guitar ) , nggamel ( gamelan ) , nggambang (jv) ( gambang ) , nyuling (jv) ( flute instruments ) , nggendhang ( gendhang ) , ngebiola ( violin ) ,
Karelian: soittua
Kumyk: сокъмакъ ( soqmaq )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: مۆسیقا لێدان ( mosîqa lêdan )
Latin: inflo , cano (la) , sono
Lithuanian: groti
Macedonian: свири ( sviri )
Norman: jouer , sonner
Old English: lācan
Pashto: ږغول (ps) ( ģağawəl )
Polish: grać (pl)
Portuguese: tocar (pt)
Russian: игра́ть (ru) impf ( igrátʹ ) , поигра́ть (ru) pf ( poigrátʹ )
Slovak: hrať
Slovene: igrati (sl)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: graś impf
Spanish: tocar (es)
Swahili: -cheza (sw)
Swedish: spela (sv)
Tagalog: tumugtog
Tibetan: རོལ་ཆ་བཏང ( rol cha btang )
Turkish: çalmak (tr)
Yakut: оонньоо ( oonńoo )
deal with a situation in a diplomatic manner
participate in (a sport or game)
Arabic: لَعِبَ (ar) ( laʿiba )
Armenian: խաղալ (hy) ( xałal )
Azerbaijani: oynamaq (az)
Bashkir: уйнау ( uynaw )
Bengali: খেলা (bn) ( khela )
Bulgarian: играя (bg) ( igraja )
Burmese: ကစား (my) ( ka.ca: )
Catalan: participar (ca) , jugar (ca)
Central Sierra Miwok: čatá·t- ( acorn game )
Cherokee: ( ball ) ᎠᎳᏍᎦᎵᎭ ( alasgaliha ) , ( cards ) ᎠᏆᎾᏲᎯᎭ ( aquanayohiha ) , ( marbles ) ᎦᏓᏲᎯᎭ ( gadayohiha )
Chickasaw: chokoshkomo
Chinese:
Mandarin: 參與 (zh) , 参与 (zh) ( cān yù ) , 參加 (zh) , 参加 (zh) ( cān jiā ) , ( games ) 玩 (zh) ( wán ) , ( sports with pedal hitting, such as football ) 踢 (zh) ( tī ) , ( sports with manual hitting, such as basketball and badminton ) 打 (zh) ( dǎ ) , ( sports with throwing, such as discus throw ) 擲 (zh) , 掷 (zh) ( zhì ) &( colloquial&informal ) 扔 (zh) ( rēng ) , ( sports with pushing, such as shot put ) 推 (zh) ( tuī ) , ( sports with running, such as marathon ) 跑 (zh) ( pǎo )
Czech: hrát (cs)
Danish: spille (da)
Dutch: spelen (nl) , meespelen (nl)
Finnish: pelata (fi) , osallistua (fi)
French: jouer (à )
Galician: xogar
German: spielen (de)
Alemannic German: schpile
Greek: παίζω (el) ( paízo )
Hungarian: játszik (hu)
Icelandic: spila , leika (is)
Indonesian: bermain (id)
Irish: imir
Italian: giocare (it)
Javanese: dolanan (jv)
Kabuverdianu: juga
Karelian: kižata
Khakas: ойнирға ( oynirğa )
Khmer: លេង (km) ( leing )
Kumyk: ойнамакъ ( oynamaq )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: یاری کردن ( yarî kirdin )
Latin: lūdō (la)
Lithuanian: žaisti (lt)
Macedonian: игра ( igra )
Malayalam: കളിക്കുക (ml) ( kaḷikkuka )
Neapolitan: jucà
Ngazidja Comorian: hura
Pashto: لوبه کول ( loba kawəl )
Polish: grać w
Portuguese: jogar (pt)
Quechua: pukllay
Romanian: juca (ro)
Russian: игра́ть (ru) impf ( igrátʹ )
Slovene: igrati (sl)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: graś impf
Spanish: jugar a
Swahili: -cheza (sw)
Swedish: spela (sv) , lira (sv) ( colloquial ) , köra (sv) ( colloquial )
Tagalog: maglaro
Thai: เล่น (th) ( lên )
Turkish: oynamak (tr)
use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording
Arabic: شَغَّلَ ( šaḡḡala )
Armenian: նվագարկել ( nvagarkel )
Assamese: চলোৱা ( solüa )
Bashkir: уйнатыу ( uynatıw )
Bengali: চালানো (bn) ( calano )
Catalan: tocar (ca)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 播 ( bo3 )
Mandarin: (please verify ) 放 (zh) ( fàng )
Czech: hrát (cs) , pustit (cs) pf
Dutch: spelen (nl) , afspelen (nl)
Finnish: toistaa (fi) , soittaa (fi)
French: ( the media is being played ) mettre (fr) , ( to play an already inserted media ) lancer (fr) , ( the media is the subject ) tourner (fr) , jouer (fr) , reproduire (fr)
Galician: reproducir (gl)
German: abspielen (de) , spielen (de)
Hebrew: השמיע (he) ( hishmía )
Hungarian: lejátszik
Icelandic: spila
Indonesian: memutar (id)
Irish: seinn
Italian: riprodurre (it) , mettere (it) , mettere su
Japanese: (please verify ) 流す (ja) ( nagasu )
Khmer: លេង (km) ( leing )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: لێدان (ku) ( lêdan )
Latvian: atskaņot
Macedonian: пушта ( pušta )
Occitan: tocar (oc)
Pashto: ږغول (ps) ( ģağawəl )
Polish: grać (pl) , odtwarzać (pl) , puścić (pl)
Portuguese: tocar (pt) , reproduzir (pt)
Serbo-Croatian: reproducirati (sh) impf , puštati (sh) impf
Slovene: predvajati
Spanish: reproducir (es) , poner (es) , tocar (es)
Swedish: spela (sv) , spela upp (sv)
put in action or motion
Vietnamese: hạ (vi) ( card games )
manipulate or deceive someone
Translations to be checked
play (countable and uncountable , plural plays )
( uncountable , formerly countable ) Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
Children learn through play .
1817 December , [Jane Austen] , Northanger Abbey ; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. [ … ] , volume (please specify |volume=I or II) , London: John Murray , [ … ] , 1818, OCLC 318384910 :She was fond of all boys' plays , and greatly preferred cricket [ …] to dolls [ …]
( uncountable ) Similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
This kind of play helps the young lion cubs develop their hunting skills.
( uncountable ) The conduct, or course, of a game.
Play was very slow in the first half.
After the rain break, play resumed at 3 o'clock.
The game was abandoned after 20 minutes' play
( uncountable ) An individual's performance in a sport or game.
His play has improved a lot this season.
( countable ) A short sequence of action within a game.
That was a great play by the Mudchester Rovers forward.
( countable , turn-based games) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play.
Synonym: move
2009 , Joe Edley, John Williams, Everything Scrabble: Third Edition (page 85)
AWARD is better than either WARED or WADER. However, there's an even better play ! If you have looked at the two-to-make-three letter list, you may have noticed the word AWA.
( countable ) A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
Synonyms: drama ; see also Thesaurus:drama
This book contains all of Shakespeare's plays .
( countable ) A theatrical performance featuring actors .
We saw a two-act play in the theatre.
( countable ) An attempt to move forward, as in a plan or strategy, for example by a business, investor, or political party.
ABC Widgets makes a play in the bicycle market with its bid to take over Acme Sprockets.
Turpin signals the Metric Party's long-term play for housing reform
( countable ) A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.
( uncountable ) The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely, as for example lash , backlash , or slack .
No wonder the fanbelt is slipping: there’s too much play in it.
Too much play in a steering wheel may be dangerous.
( uncountable , informal ) Sexual activity or sexual role-playing .
1996 , Sabrina P Ramet, Gender reversals and gender cultures :The rarity of male domination in fantasy play is readily explained.
1996 , "toptigger", (on Internet newsgroup alt.personals.spanking.punishment )
Palm Springs M seeks sane F 4 safe bdsm play
2013 , Rachel Kramer Bussel, Best Bondage Erotica 2014 :There were none of the usual restrictions on public nudity or sexual interaction in the club environment. Still, the night was young, and as he'd made his way to the bar to order Mistress Ramona a gin and tonic, he'd seen little in the way of play .
2014 , Jiri T. Servant, Facts About Bondage - Bondage Guide For Beginners :This type of play allows some people to relax and enjoy being given pleasure without having to think about giving pleasure back at the same time.
( countable ) An instance of watching or listening to digital media.
Synonyms: ( of visual media ) view , ( of audio ) listen
2014 December 3, Victor Luckerson, “These Were Spotify's Most-Streamed Songs This Year”, in Time [2] :The most-streamed artist of the year was British singer Ed Sheeran, who amassed 860 million plays with hits like “I See Fire.”
( countable ) A button that, when pressed , causes media to be played.
( archaic , now usually in compounds) Activity relating to martial combat or fighting .
handplay , swordplay
Translations [ edit ]
playful activity
Albanian: lojë (sq) f
Arabic: لَعِب (ar) f ( laʿib )
Armenian: խաղ (hy) ( xał )
Azerbaijani: oyun (az)
Bashkir: уйын ( uyın )
Belarusian: гу́льня f ( húlʹnja ) , ігра́ f ( ihrá )
Bengali: খেলা (bn) ( khela )
Bulgarian: игра́ (bg) f ( igrá ) , забавле́ние (bg) n ( zabavlénie )
Catalan: joc (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 玩 (zh) , 玩兒 (zh) , 玩儿 (zh) ( wánr )
Czech: hra (cs) f
Danish: leg (da) c , spil n
Dutch: spel (nl) n
Esperanto: ludo
Estonian: mäng
Even: эвин ( əwin )
Evenki: эвин ( əwin )
Ewe: fefe
Finnish: leikki (fi) , peli (fi)
French: jeu (fr) m
Friulian: zogho
Galician: xogo m
Georgian: თამაში ( tamaši )
German: Spiel (de) n
Greek:
Ancient: παιγνία f ( paignía )
Hebrew: מִשְׂחָק (he) m ( miskhák ) , שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ m ( sha'ashúa )
Hindi: खेल (hi) m ( khel )
Hungarian: játék (hu)
Icelandic: leikur (is) m , spil (is) n
Indonesian: permainan (id)
Irish: imirt f , súgradh m
Old Irish: spled
Italian: gioco (it) m
Japanese: 遊び (ja) ( あそび, asobi )
Javanese: dolanan (jv)
Kazakh: ойын ( oiyn )
Khmer: ល្បែង (km) ( lbaeng ) , ការលេង ( kaaleing )
Korean: 놀이 (ko) ( nori )
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: یاری (ku) ( yarî ) , وازی (ku) ( wazî )
Northern Kurdish: yarî (ku) f , lîstik (ku) f
Kyrgyz: ойноо (ky) ( oynoo )
Latgalian: kaita f
Latin: lūdus (la) m
Latvian: spēle (lv) f , rotaļa f
Lithuanian: žaidimas m
Lombard: giögh , giœugh m
Macedonian: игра f ( igra )
Malayalam: കളി (ml) ( kaḷi )
Mongolian: тоглоом (mn) ( togloom )
Norwegian:
Bokmål: spill (no) n
Nynorsk: spel n
Persian: بازی (fa) ( bâzi )
Plautdietsch: Spell m
Polish: zabawa (pl) f
Portuguese: jogo (pt) m , brincadeira (pt) f
Romanian: joc (ro) n
Russian: игра́ (ru) f ( igrá )
Sanskrit: लीला (sa) f ( līlā )
Scottish Gaelic: cleasachd f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ѝгра f
Roman: ìgra (sh) f
Slovak: hra (sk) f
Slovene: igra (sl) f
Somali: ciyaar
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: graśe n
Spanish: juego (es) m
Swahili: mchezo (sw)
Swedish: spel (sv) n , lek (sv) c
Tagalog: laro
Tajik: бозӣ (tg) ( bozī )
Thai: การเล่น (th) ( gaan-lên )
Tibetan: རྩེད་མོ ( rtsed mo )
Tocharian B: kāñme
Turkish: oyun (tr)
Turkmen: oýun
Ukrainian: гра (uk) f ( hra )
Urdu: کھیل m ( khel )
Uyghur: ئويۇن ( oyun )
Uzbek: oʻyin (uz)
Vietnamese: chơi (vi) , trò chơi (vi)
Welsh: gêm (cy) f
Yiddish: שפּיל f or n ( shpil )
literary composition intended to be represented
area of free movement for a part of a mechanism
— see backlash
action carried out when it is one's turn to play
Derived terms [ edit ]
Terms derived from the noun or verb play
See also [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]
play on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
play at OneLook Dictionary Search
play in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
Anagrams [ edit ]
Chinese [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
Borrowed from English play , possibly via Japanese プレイ ( purei ) .
Pronunciation [ edit ]
This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!
play
play ( sexual roleplaying )
羞恥 play / 羞耻 play ― xiūchǐ play ― erotic humiliation
女裝 play / 女装 play ― nǚzhuāng play ― crossdressing
各種 奇怪 的 play / 各种 奇怪 的 play ― gèzhǒng qíguài de play ― all kinds of strange sexual roleplaying
Italian [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
Unadapted borrowing from English play .
Pronunciation [ edit ]
play m (invariable )
play (theatrical performance; start key)
Interjection [ edit ]
play
used to announce the start a game of tennis
References [ edit ]
Spanish [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
Borrowed from English play .
play m (plural playes )
play ( button )
Related terms [ edit ]