playa

English

Etymology 1

From Spanish playa (“beach”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈplaɪə/
• Rhymes: -aɪə

Noun

playa (plural playas)

1. (geology, US) A level area which habitually fills with water that evaporates entirely.
   • 2020, Diane Cook, The New Wilderness, Oneworld Publications, page 66:

     Beyond the valley below lay a playa, a vast dried-white lake bed, its ends reaching farther than they could see.

Hyponyms

• salt flat, salt pan, alkali flat

Derived terms

• playa lake

Etymology 2

From a non-rhotic pronunciation of player.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpleɪə/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪə

Noun

playa (plural playas)

1. (African-American Vernacular, slang) A dude (an informal term of address or general term to describe a person, typically male).
2. (African-American Vernacular, slang) A player (someone who plays the field, or has prowess in gaining romantic and sexual relationships).

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Aragonese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

playa f (plural playas)

1. beach

References

• Bal Palazios, Santiago (2002), “playa”, in Dizionario breu de a luenga aragonesa, Zaragoza, →ISBN

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Asturian

Noun

playa f (plural playes)

1. beach

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Papiamentu

Etymology

From Spanish playa.

Noun

playa

1. beach
2. "the town" (in Aruba)

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Spanish

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈplaʝa/, [ˈpla.ʝa]

• IPA^(key): (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈplaʝa/, [ˈpla.ʝa]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /ˈplaʃa/, [ˈpla.ʃa]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /ˈplaʒa/, [ˈpla.ʒa]

Audio (Colombia)

(file)

Etymology 1

From Late Latin plagia, from Latin plaga. Compare Portuguese praia, French plage, Italian spiaggia.

Noun

playa f (plural playas)

1. beach
   • 1989, “Aquí no hay playa”, performed by The Refrescos:

     Afirmaréis seguros que es la capital de España / Pero al llegar agosto, ¡vaya, vaya! / Aquí no hay playa

     You will surely affirm that it is the capital of Spain / But when August arrives, wow, wow! / There is no beach here

2. car park

Derived terms

• balón de playa
• pelota de playa
• playero
• voleibol de playa
• vóley playa

 

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Adjective

playa

1. feminine singular of playo

Further reading

• “playa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014