Play (Noun)
Meaning 1
A deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill; "he made a great maneuver"; "the runner was out on a play by the shortstop".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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- Footwork
- Takeaway
- Completion
- Icing
- Ball Hawking
- Obstruction
- Baseball Play
- Stroke
- Figure
- Assist
- Shot
- Linebacker Blitzing
- Icing The Puck
- Trap Play
- Mousetrap
- Jugglery
- Safety Blitz
- Pass Completion
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Meaning 2
A dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The theater company put on a play that explored themes of love and loss.
- The playwright spent years reworking her play before it was finally performed on stage.
- He wrote a play in college that his friends encouraged him to produce professionally.
- The drama club chose to perform a play by a local writer for their annual production.
- Her play was praised for its originality and nuanced portrayal of complex characters.
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Meaning 3
An attempt to get something; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 4
A weak and tremulous light; "the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural events.
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Meaning 5
A state in which action is feasible; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
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Meaning 6
A preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up the plays for her team".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 7
Utilization or exercise; "the play of the imagination".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 8
Activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 9
Movement or space for movement; "there was too much play in the steering wheel".
Classification
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects.
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Meaning 10
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".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 11
Verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"; "he said it in sport".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
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Meaning 12
The removal of constraints; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent".
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
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Meaning 13
(game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
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Meaning 14
(in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning".
Classification
Nouns denoting time and temporal relations.
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Meaning 15
The act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Synonyms
Meaning 16
A theatrical performance of a drama; "the play lasted two hours".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
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Meaning 17
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".
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.