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player

player

∞ 1.0
A person who takes part in a sport or game
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪər/
: 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.