play

Where “play” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
2. 2
   To toy or trifle; to act with levity or thoughtlessness; to be careless.
3. 3
   To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
4. 4
   To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
5. 5
   To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
6. 6
   To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
7. 7
   To contend or fight using weapons, both as practice or in real life-or-death combats; to engage in martial games; to joust; to fence
8. 8
   To act or behave in a stated way.
9. 9
   To act or behave in a stated way.
10. 10
    To act as (the indicated role).
11. 11
    To act as (the indicated role).
12. 12
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
13. 13
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
14. 14
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
15. 15
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
16. 16
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
17. 17
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
18. 18
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
19. 19
    To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
20. 20
    To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
21. 21
    To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
22. 22
    To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
23. 23
    To bring into action or motion; to exhibit in action; to execute or deploy.
24. 24
    To handle or deal with (a matter or situation) in a stated way.
25. 25
    To handle or deal with (something) in a calculating manner intended to achieve profit or gain.
26. 26
    To be received or accepted (in a given way); to go down.
27. 27
    To gamble.
28. 28
    To keep in play, as a hooked fish in order to land it.
29. 29
    To manipulate, deceive, or swindle.
30. 30
    To kid; to joke; to say something for amusement; to act, or to treat something, unseriously.
31. 31
    To take part in amorous activity; to make love; see also play around.
32. 32
    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.

Etymology

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”), of uncertain origin. 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.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpay,paly,playy,pllay,plya,pplay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of play - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Frequently Asked Questions