1. (n.) To engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot.

2. (n.) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless.

3. (n.) To contend, or take part, in a game; as, to play ball; hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy stakes.

4. (n.) To perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a flute.

5. (n.) To act; to behave; to practice deception.

6. (n.) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act; as, the fountain plays.

7. (n.) To move gayly; to wanton; to disport.

8. (n.) To act on the stage; to personate a character.

9. (v. t.) To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump.

10. (v. t.) To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.

11. (v. t.) To perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.

12. (v. t.) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute; as, to play tricks.

13. (v. t.) To act or perform (a play); to represent in music action; as, to play a comedy; also, to act in the character of; to represent by acting; to simulate; to behave like; as, to play King Lear; to play the woman.

14. (v. t.) To engage in, or go together with, as a contest for amusement or for a wager or prize; as, to play a game at baseball.

15. (v. t.) To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.

16. (n.) Amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.

17. (n.) Any exercise, or series of actions, intended for amusement or diversion; a game.

18. (n.) The act or practice of contending for victory, amusement, or a prize, as at dice, cards, or billiards; gaming; as, to lose a fortune in play.

19. (n.) Action; use; employment; exercise; practice; as, fair play; sword play; a play of wit.

20. (n.) A dramatic composition; a comedy or tragedy; a composition in which characters are represented by dialogue and action.

21. (n.) The representation or exhibition of a comedy or tragedy; as, he attends ever play.

22. (n.) Performance on an instrument of music.

23. (n.) Motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and easy action.

24. (n.) Hence, liberty of acting; room for enlargement or display; scope; as, to give full play to mirth.

ALGOL COBOL FORTRAN Grand Guignol Passion play Tom show abuse accentuate accompany act act a part act as act as foil act out act up acting action actions activism activity ad lib affect agree air space alphabetic data alphanumeric code ample scope amuse amusement angular data ante ante up antic antimasque ape appear apple-polish appliance application article artifice assembler assume attention audience success autograph back ball ballet barnstorm be effective be in action be occupied with be responsible for be unfaithful beguile behave behavior belittle belly laugh bet bet on betting bicker big time binary digit binary scale binary system bit blank check blue story bluff bomb book bout brainchild broadcast drama brown-nose bug build up burlesque show butter up byte calculated risk call call attention to caper caracole cardsharping carouse carry on carry out carry through carte blanche cast lots casting lots cause trouble cavort challenge chance charade chord chunk clearance cliff hanger closet drama come out comedy drama command pulses commands compete with compiler composition computer code computer language computer printout computer program concertize conduct consider contend with contest control signals controlled quantity cooperate copy coquet correcting signals counterfeit court cover cover up coverage critical success curvet cut a dido cut capers cut lots cut the cards cut up dabble dally dance dancing data daytime serial de-emphasize deal with decathlon decry delay delectation delight demeanor depict deportment deprecate device dialogue dido diminish direct dirty joke dirty story discourse disparage disport dissemble dissimulate diversion divert do do a bit do with document documentary drama doing double entendre double-header doubles draft drama dramalogue dramatic play dramatic series dramatize draw lots draw straws drive duodrama duologue edited version elbowroom emote emotionalize emphasize employ employment enact engage engage in engrossment enjoyment entertain entertainment epic theater error error signals essay ethnic joke event execute exercise exert experimental theater exploit extemporize extravaganza fade failure fair copy fake feedback pulses feedback signals feign feint fiction fiddle fiddle with fiddle-faddle fidget fidget with field film data final draft finesse finger with finished version first draft flatter flexibility flicker flickering flickering light flier flimsy flirt flop flounce flutter fluttering fool fool around fool with