play
∞
1.4
- noun
- /pleɪ/
:
obra de teatro
- Yet the characters in O'Neill's play look back more in hope than in sorrow.
- Shakespeare's plays
- play script
- perform plays
I think a good musical play is fucking epic.
- I think a good musical play is fucking epic.
- Those plays, those Greek plays, they were bloodbaths.
- So I I wrote a play kind of by accident.
- I shake my head, quote the play, write line numbers on the board.
- And there's a running theme in the play about clothing.
- There's that wonderful play by who's the Italian?
- And because we did it first as a play, it was scary.
- Well, I think the first like, play play was third grade.
- Hey, Kevin, did you see this play again?
Examples
-
And now let me tell you that this play will have three acts.
-
The main act was a play about a woman whose husband has died of AIDS.
Academic text (2011) -
So I I wrote a play kind of by accident.
-
And and then I had a play that was put on.
-
And the first comes from a play by David Mamet.
-
It's one of the many plays we've worked out.
-
The first thing I auditioned for was a play called Ghost Town.
-
Have you seen Arthur Miller's play The Death of the Salesman?
-
Satchmo at the Waldorf, his first play, opened last month in Orlando, Florida.
Academic text (2011) -
I recently saw a brilliant play about the struggles of a family during World War II.
Synonyms
539
2.7
A live show of a play, concert, or dance for an audience
239
1.8
A story performed by actors on stage
156
3.7
A performance of a play, film, or show for an audience
3
3.9
A short play with only one act
3
4.5
A public performance of a play
2
3.7
Putting on a play in a theatre with actors, sets, and lights
1
4.1
A written story to be performed, like a play or screenplay
1
3.5
An event where actors act a play for an audience
1
3.7
A staged play that actors perform live for an audience
1
3.8
An event where people put on a play with actors, a director, and stage sets
1
8.0
A short acted scene often performed during a larger show
A story that actors perform on stage
A written work like a play created to be performed by actors on stage, television, or film
Written words of a play that show the lines and stage directions for performance
A play written to be read rather than acted on stage
Idioms
- Informal
6
8.0
Act in a careless way by ignoring rules and other people's feelings
3
3.3
Not part of the game, for example when the ball or a player leaves the playing area
- Offensive
1
8.5
To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame
- Literature
1
8.0
To mention someone's gender to gain an advantage in a discussion
- Informal
1
4.3
To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively
- Slang
Tell someone angrily to do something dangerous to stop them complaining
Compounds
16
3.0
Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition
- Literature
3
9.9
A play where characters are good or bad qualities to teach right and wrong
- Specialized
2
4.2
Works as soon as you connect or install it without needing any setup
1
5.6
A golf contest where each hole is a separate game and the player who wins more holes wins the contest
- Specialized
1
4.4
A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate
- Jargon
1
6.1
A baseball or softball play when the defending team gets three players out in one action
- Jargon
1
6.2
A football play where the quarterback fakes a pass then hands the ball to a running back
- Jargon
1
6.1
The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties
1
2.9
A planned move in American football by the team with the ball to move it or score
- Literature
1
9.9
A play from the Middle Ages that tells Bible stories, often about Jesus, performed for people
1
4.5
A group performance where actors read a play aloud without full sets or learning lines
- Jargon
1
7.5
A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts
- Specialized
A play where a runner must advance and a fielder with the ball touches the base first
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base waits for a bunt then runs home to avoid being out
- Literature
A short ancient Greek play mixing serious drama with rude comedy and actors dressed as half-man, half-goat creatures
- Jargon
A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts
- Jargon
A play that lets a defender pass the start line then blocks them to open a gap for the runner
How Long
∞
1.4
3
3.9
Surface Forms
Etymology
Play comes from the old English word plega, which meant 'action' or 'fun'; a stage play is called that because it is an action performed for an audience, so the name links the idea of 'acting' to the dramatic work.