play
- Top 1000
Sense 1
- verb
- A1
To do something for fun, such as taking part in a game or using toys.
The children played quietly in the corner all afternoon.
Do you want to play against me in the next round?
We played outside until it got too dark to see.
My neighbour plays badminton with his daughter every Sunday morning.
Common collocations: play a game · play cards · play football · play with friends · play outside
Part of: Games and hobbies, Sport
Sense 2
- verb
- A1
To make music with an instrument.
She has been learning to play the violin since September.
He plays the guitar in a band at weekends.
Could you play something quiet for us before dinner?
Common collocations: play the piano · play the guitar · play a tune · play by ear · play in a band
Part of: Games and hobbies, Music
Sense 3 · less common
- noun
- A1
A story written so that actors can perform it on a stage.
Our class is putting on a play at the end of term.
The play lasts two hours with one short break in the middle.
She wrote a short play about life in a small village.
Common collocations: put on a play · a school play · write a play · act in a play · a play by
Part of: Art, Books and reading
Sense 4 · less common
- verb
- A2
To make a machine give out sound or pictures that were recorded earlier.
Play that song again, I did not catch the words.
The radio played the same three songs all morning.
He played a short video to show us how it works.
Common collocations: play a song · play a video · play a record · play music loudly · play it again
Part of: Media, Music, Phone and internet