play

Signification

Verb

1. To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
2. To toy or trifle; to act with levity or thoughtlessness; to be careless.
3. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
4. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
5. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
6. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
7. To act or behave in a stated way.
8. To act or behave in a stated way.
9. To act as (the indicated role).
10. To act as (the indicated role).
11. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
12. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
13. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
14. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
15. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
16. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
17. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
18. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
19. To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
20. To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
21. To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
22. To bring into action or motion; to exhibit in action; to execute or deploy.
23. To handle or deal with (a matter or situation) in a stated way.
24. To handle or deal with (something) in a calculating manner intended to achieve profit or gain.
25. To be received or accepted (in a given way); to go down.
26. To gamble.
27. To keep in play, as a hooked fish in order to land it.
28. (colloquial) To manipulate, deceive, or swindle.
29. To kid; to joke; to say something for amusement; to act, or to treat something, unseriously.
30. To take part in amorous activity; to make love; see also play around.
31. For additional senses in various idiomatic phrases, see the individual entries, such as play along, play at, play down, play off, play on, play out, play to, play up, etc.

Noun

1. Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
2. Similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
3. The conduct, or course, of a game.
4. An individual's performance in a sport or game.
5. A short sequence of action within a game.
6. A short sequence of action within a game.
7. A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
8. A theatrical performance featuring actors.
9. An attempt to move forward, as in a plan or strategy, for example by a business, investor, or political party.
10. A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.
11. Movement (of a pattern of light etc.)
12. Freedom to move.
13. Freedom to move.
14. (informal) Sexual activity or sexual role-playing.
15. An instance of watching or listening to media.
16. An instance or instances of causing media to be watched or heard, such as by broadcasting.
17. A button that, when pressed, causes media to be played.
18. An instance of wordplay.
19. Activity relating to martial combat or fighting.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/pleɪ/

Étymologie

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.

Phrases

Children come to play in the area provided for them .

Les enfants viennent jouer dans la région pour eux.

The Greek musicians play on small portable folk style instruments .

Les musiciens grecs jouent sur de petits instruments de style folk portable.

He accepted a scholarship to play locally at Wichita State University .

Il a accepté une bourse pour jouer localement à l'Université d'État de Wichita.