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play [ play ]

[
US
pleɪ ]
[
UK
pleɪ ]
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TOEIC 350

Verb

1. Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

They fell into silence, watching their children play together.

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2. Engage in (a game or activity) for enjoyment.

After dinner that night we played cards for a while.

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3. Amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence.

As a boy, I used to play cowboys and Indians all the time.

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4. Take part in (a sport)

As a young man he loved sport, playing baseball, football and hockey.

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5. Participate in (a sporting match or contest)

He plays to win; that's why he is the great golfer he is.

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6. Compete against (another player or team) in a sporting match.

the team will play France on Wednesday

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7. Be part of a team, especially in a specified position, in a sporting contest.

Edilson played up front in place of the suspended Ronaldinho.

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8. Strike (a ball) or execute (a stroke) in a game.

James Keddy played the ball down the left wing for Robbie Doyle.

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9. (of a cricket ground) be in such condition as to have a specified effect on play.

The wicket wasn't playing that easily, but he knew which shots worked for him on that wicket and was able to adapt his game to that.

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10. Assign to take part in a match, especially in a specified position.

Eriksson still has not worked out the best partnership to play up front.

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11. Move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one's turn in a game.

Note that the game very often ends in the middle before all the cards are played.

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12. Bet or gamble at or on.

His happiness relies on a visit to the casino to play the slot machines.

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13. Be cooperative.

he needs financial backing, but the building societies won't play

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14. Represent (a character) in a theatrical performance or a film.

In my next film I'm playing a really intense character and I'm nervous.

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15. Perform in a film or theatrical production.

In The Silver Fleet, she plays opposite another star of the London stage, Ralph Richardson.

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16. Put on or take part in (a theatrical performance, film, or concert)

the show was one of the best we ever played

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17. Give a dramatic performance at (a particular theatre or place)

Suzanne Vega plays the City Hall, Salisbury on 27 June.

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18. Behave as though one were (a specified type of person)

His call for an early election was an attempt to play the hero again.

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19. Perform on (a musical instrument)

He was a keen musician and played the guitar in a local band.

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20. Possess the skill of performing on (a musical instrument)

he taught himself to play the violin

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21. Produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a piece of music)

Pupils played classical pieces as well as songs from films and shows.

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22. Make (a disc, music player, or other device) produce sounds or recorded images.

Sometimes, just every now and again they play a track I actually like.

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23. (of a musical instrument, music player, or other device) produce sounds or recorded images.

somewhere within, a harp was playing

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24. Accompany (someone) with music as they are moving in a specified direction.

Brother James, would you play the girls in please?

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25. Move lightly and quickly, so as to appear and disappear; flicker.

little beams of light played over the sea

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26. (of a fountain or similar source of water) emit a stream of gently moving water.

In the centre of the lush garden, an elaborate marble fountain played, spraying sparkling jewels of water into the air.

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27. Allow (a fish) to exhaust itself pulling against a line before reeling it in.

Remember the whole rod should be used in playing the fish.

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Noun

1. Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.

The sounds of children at play can be heard.

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2. Behaviour or speech that is not intended seriously.

I flinched, but only in play

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3. Designed to be used in games of pretence; not real.

play families are arranged in play houses

4. The conducting of a sporting match.

Each day's play starts at 10 am.

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5. The action or manner of engaging in a sport or game.

Superb play by Dave Armstrong earned him the man of the match award and a goal.

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6. The status of the ball in a game as being available to be played according to the rules.

So why not let the computer decide when a ball is in play and keep time for us.

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7. The state of being active, operative, or effective.

I suspect there is an element of wounded national pride at play here.

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8. A move or manoeuvre in a sport or game.

the best play is to lead the 3 of clubs

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9. The activity of gambling.

a young nobleman, ruined by play

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10. A dramatic work for the stage or to be broadcast.

I went to see a double bill of two plays by Harold Pinter.

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11. The space in or through which a mechanism can or does move.

the steering rack was loose, and there was a little play

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12. Scope or freedom to act or operate.

It also recognises the fact that the free play of markets creates problems for society.

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13. Light and constantly changing movement.

The deliberate use of an uneven surface allows for the greater play of light.

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Play around

1. Behave in a casual, foolish, or irresponsible way.

British

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2. Engage in sexual activity with someone other than one's spouse or partner.

was her husband playing around?

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Play along

1. Pretend to cooperate.

Nicky, of course, was perfectly happy to play along with this.

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2. Perform a piece of music at the same time as it is playing on a recording.

we tried to play along to the acoustic guitar

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3. (play someone along, play along someone) Deceive or mislead someone over a period of time.

Jackie Lye as Gill the good time girl playing Mark along is certainly lust on legs and captures this temptress perfectly.

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Play off

1. (of two teams or competitors) play an extra game or match to decide a draw or tie.

the runners-up will play off against each other

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2. (play someone off someone ) Bring two people into conflict or competition for one's own advantage.

detectives employ more than one informant so as to play one off against the other

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Play up to

1. (play up to something) Exploit, trade on, or make the most of something.

the actors clearly have fun playing up to their stereotypes

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Play on

1. (play on something) Exploit a weak or vulnerable point in someone.

he played on his opponent's nerves

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Play back

1. (play something back, play back something) Play music or sounds that one has recently recorded, especially to monitor recording quality.

I did a lot of recording and then played it back

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Play out

1. Develop in a particular way.

The legal wrangle is yet to play out in the courts.

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2. Happen; take place.

You're going to be surprised to find out where it's playing out.

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3. (play something out, play out something) Act out a scene or role.

On 21st November, 1953, the final scene in the saga was played out.

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4. (be played out) Be drained of strength or life.

There was nowhere else I could go. I was played out.

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5. Be no longer interesting through having been used or seen too many times before.

the melodrama is a little played out to be entirely satisfying

Play with

1. (play with something) Fiddle or tamper with something.

she was playing with her hair

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2. (play with someone or something) Treat someone or something inconsiderately for one's own amusement.

she likes to play with people's emotions

3. (play with oneself) Masturbate.

Play down

1. (play something down, play down something) Represent something as being less important than it in fact is.

he tried to play down the seriousness of his illness

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Play for

1. (play someone for something) Treat someone as being of a specified type.

don't imagine you can play me for a fool

Play away

1. Play a sports fixture on an opponent's ground.

all these matches will be played away from home

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2. Engage in sexual activity with someone other than one's spouse or partner.

If you can live with that (and without your current BF when he finds out), play away!

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Play up

1. (play something up, play up something) Emphasize or exaggerate the extent or importance of something.

Fianna Fáil were wary of playing up their chances.

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2. (of a child) misbehave.

I hadn't had much sleep—the kids had been playing up

3. Fail to function properly.

The dishwasher's playing up, but it should be all right by the time we open.

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4. (play someone up) (of a part of the body or an illness) cause pain or discomfort to someone.

My knee is still playing me up and I'm still walking with a limp.

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5. Put all one's energy into a game.

Insofar as basketball is concerned, if he is already playing up, teach him the game as you would the older players.

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Play at

1. (play at something) Engage in something without proper seriousness or understanding.

it would be wrong to assume that he is simply playing at politics

2. (be playing at) Used to convey one's irritation at someone's actions or one's failure to understand their motives.

what on earth do you think you're playing at?

Origin

1. Old English pleg(i)an ‘to exercise’, plega ‘brisk movement’, related to Middle Dutch pleien ‘leap for joy, dance’.

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