Verb

• S: (v) play (participate in games or sport) "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
• S: (v) play (act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome) "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal"
• S: (v) play (play on an instrument) "The band played all night long"
• S: (v) act, play, represent (play a role or part) "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master"
• S: (v) play (be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children) "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl"
• S: (v) play, spiel (replay (as a melody)) "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully"
• S: (v) play (perform music on (a musical instrument)) "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
• S: (v) act, play, act as (pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind) "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad"
• S: (v) play (move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly) "The spotlights played on the politicians"
• S: (v) play (bet or wager (money)) "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
• S: (v) play, recreate (engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion) "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike"
• S: (v) play (pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity) "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians"
• S: (v) play (emit recorded sound) "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
• S: (v) play (perform on a certain location) "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"
• S: (v) play (put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game) "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory"
• S: (v) play, toy (engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously) "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
• S: (v) play (behave in a certain way) "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair"
• S: (v) play, run (cause to emit recorded audio or video) "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video"
• S: (v) toy, fiddle, diddle, play (manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination) "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate"
• S: (v) play (use to one's advantage) "She plays on her clients' emotions"
• S: (v) dally, trifle, play (consider not very seriously) "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
• S: (v) play (be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way) "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee"
• S: (v) dally, toy, play, flirt (behave carelessly or indifferently) "Play about with a young girl's affection"
• S: (v) play (cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space) "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
• S: (v) act, play, roleplay, playact (perform on a stage or theater) "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'"
• S: (v) play (be performed or presented for public viewing) "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"
• S: (v) bring, work, play, wreak, make for (cause to happen or to occur as a consequence) "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"
• S: (v) play (discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream) "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day"
• S: (v) play (make bets) "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville"
• S: (v) bet, wager, play (stake on the outcome of an issue) "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"
• S: (v) play (shoot or hit in a particular manner) "She played a good backhand last night"
• S: (v) play (use or move) "I had to play my queen"
• S: (v) play (employ in a game or in a specific position) "They played him on first base"
• S: (v) meet, encounter, play, take on (contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle) "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary"
• S: (v) play (exhaust by allowing to pull on the line) "play a hooked fish"

Adjective

• S: (adj) played ((of games) engaged in) "the loosely played game"