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player

player

1.0
A person who takes part in a sport or game
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪər/
translation icon : jugador
  • You really believe one of these players could compete.
  • a basketball player
  • a football player
  • a soccer player

It's a video game where two players are playing together.

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Examples

  • Which Manchester United player is known as the King?

  • It's a video game where two players are playing together.

  • I wanted to make great players out of you.

  • By the middle of 2007, the key players saw their interests as best served by peace.

    Academic text (2008)
  • And after this, neither player really made any mistakes.

  • I loved it and the players responded really well.

  • He was one of the best players on the entire team.

  • Concussions are on the rise in all sports; players are getting bigger and faster.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I would say Giannis is the best NBA player, Yeah, right now.

  • As a skilled soccer player, she frequently trains to improve her techniques.

Synonyms

participant
vsplayer
295 2.4

A person who joins an activity or event

is often skilled or competitive rather than merely being present
contestant
vsplayer
167 2.8

A person who takes part in a competition that tests skill or knowledge

takes part or is skilled in games more generally not only formal contests
gamester
vsplayer
  • Archaic
1 7.3

A person who plays games for fun, sport, or money

takes part with skill or competitive focus rather than for mere fun or betting
gamesman
vsplayer
  • Archaic
7.5

A person skilled at playing strategic games like chess or board games

is skilled or just takes part rather than being exceptionally expert

Compounds

127 1.0

A person who plays football for a team

A person who plays baseball for a team or as a job

A person who plays basketball for a team, often professionally

42 1.5

A machine that plays music from CDs

40 3.2

An important person who helps decide what happens in a group

38 1.3

A person who plays the guitar in songs or bands

34 1.7

A person who plays hockey for fun or as a job

29 3.8

A person or company that has a lot of power in a field

26 1.0

A person who plays tennis as a sport or for a living

23 1.1

A person who plays soccer for a team or for fun

22 2.3

A person who plays the piano

20 3.0

A person who plays the card game poker, often as a job

18 3.0

A machine that plays music from vinyl discs using a needle

13 2.0

A team member who is the best and most important

13 2.6

A person who plays chess for fun or as a job

A person who plays the sport lacrosse

8 2.0

A person who plays games with cards like poker or bridge

A player who helps their team most during a season and wins an award

tape player
  • Archaic
7 2.0

A machine that uses cassette tapes to let you hear recorded music

cassette player
  • Archaic
5 2.7

A small machine that plays music from cassette tapes, often with speakers or a headphone jack

A person who plays volleyball for sport or fun

4 3.5

A person who hits balls with a cue on a pool table

4 6.5

A person who has a small role in a film or play

player piano
  • Archaic
3 6.7

A piano that plays by itself using a paper roll

A musician who plays the trombone in a band or orchestra

An actor who plays a small but important role in a film or play

2 2.0

A person who plays the flute as a job or for fun

role player
  • Jargon
2 3.9

A person who plays a fictional character in a game with others for fun

A person who plays the card game bridge for fun or as a job

A person who plays tennis and earns money from it

1 1.0

A person who plays golf for fun or as a job

1 4.9

A team member who can play several positions well in sports like baseball

A person who plays billiards for fun or as a job

1 6.9

A musician who plays the sitar, a long Indian instrument with strings

1 2.7

A person who plays darts for fun or as a job

1 2.5

A person who plays an instrument in a band, for example a military band

A person who performs music on a small wooden wind instrument like a flute

1 3.3

A person who plays a part in a play, movie, or show

player hater
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who is jealous and says bad things when someone is happy in a relationship

seeded player
  • Jargon
1 4.4

A player ranked among the best in a tournament who is placed to avoid other top players early

A musician who plays the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument

hooky player
  • Informal
8.9

A student who stays away from school without permission

A person who skates on ice with a stick to score goals

A character in a game controlled by the game, not a player

7.4

A person who repeats the same words or actions without thinking

A player who does not start games and replaces starters when needed

A player who is third in line to replace other players and rarely plays

A person who can do several different jobs and move between roles when needed

How Skilled

star player
13 2.0
professional
16 3.5
player
1.0
beginner
81 1.0

Surface Forms

player singular
players plural

Morphology

player = play (transparent) = play + er

Agentive '-er' on 'play' yields 'one who takes part in a game or sport', a direct and regular derivation.

Etymology

Player comes from play meaning 'to take part in a game' and the ending -er meaning a person who does something, so a player is someone who takes part in a sport or game.