[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

play \play\, v. i. imp.  p. p. played; p. pr.  vb. n.
   playing. oe. pleien, as. plegian, plegan, to play, akin
   to plega play, game, quick motion, and probably to os. plegan
   to promise, pledge, d. plegen to care for, attend to, be
   wont, g. pflegen; of unknown origin. root28. cf. plight,
   n.
   1. to engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for
      the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot.
      1913 webster

            as cannace was playing in her walk.   --chaucer.
      1913 webster

            the lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day,
            had he thy reason, would he skip and play --pope.
      1913 webster

            and some, the darlings of their lord,
            play smiling with the flame and sword. --keble.
      1913 webster

   2. to act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be
      careless.
      1913 webster

            "nay," quod this monk, "i have no lust to pleye."
                                                  --chaucer.
      1913 webster

            men are apt to play with their healths. --sir w.
                                                  temple.
      1913 webster

   3. to contend, or take part, in a game; as, to play ball;
      hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy stakes.
      1913 webster

   4. to perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a
      flute.
      1913 webster

            one that . . . can play well on an instrument.
                                                  --ezek.
                                                  xxxiii. 32.
      1913 webster

            play, my friend, and charm the charmer. --granville.
      1913 webster

   5. to act; to behave; to practice deception.
      1913 webster

            his mother played false with a smith. --shak.
      1913 webster

   6. to move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with
      alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act; as,
      the fountain plays.
      1913 webster

            the heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs
            play.                                 --cheyne.
      1913 webster

   7. to move gayly; to wanton; to disport.
      1913 webster

            even as the waving sedges play with wind. --shak.
      1913 webster

            the setting sun
            plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets.
                                                  --addison.
      1913 webster

            all fame is foreign but of true desert,
            plays round the head, but comes not to the heart.
                                                  --pope.
      1913 webster

   8. to act on the stage; to personate a character.
      1913 webster

            a lord will hear your play to-night.  --shak.
      1913 webster

            courts are theaters where some men play. --donne.
      1913 webster

   to play into a person's hands, to act, or to manage
      matters, to his advantage or benefit.

   to play off, to affect; to feign; to practice artifice.

   to play upon.
      a to make sport of; to deceive.
          1913 webster

                art thou alive?
                or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight.
                                                  --shak.
          1913 webster
      b to use in a droll manner; to give a droll expression
          or application to; as, to play upon words.
          1913 webster
see also:
played playing plight to play into a person's hands to play off to play upon 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

play \play\, n.
   1. amusement; sport; frolic; gambols.
      1913 webster

   2. any exercise, or series of actions, intended for amusement
      or diversion; a game.
      1913 webster

            john naturally loved rough play.      --arbuthnot.
      1913 webster

   3. 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.
      1913 webster

   4. action; use; employment; exercise; practice; as, fair
      play; sword play; a play of wit. "the next who comes in
      play." --dryden.
      1913 webster

   5. a dramatic composition; a comedy or tragedy; a composition
      in which characters are represented by dialogue and
      action.
      1913 webster

            a play ought to be a just image of human nature.
                                                  --dryden.
      1913 webster

   6. the representation or exhibition of a comedy or tragedy;
      as, he attends ever play.
      1913 webster

   7. performance on an instrument of music.
      1913 webster

   8. motion; movement, regular or irregular; as, the play of a
      wheel or piston; hence, also, room for motion; free and
      easy action. "to give them play, front and rear."
      --milton.
      1913 webster

            the joints are let exactly into one another, that
            they have no play between them.       --moxon.
      1913 webster

   9. hence, liberty of acting; room for enlargement or display;
      scope; as, to give full play to mirth.
      1913 webster

   play actor, an actor of dramas. --prynne.

   play debt, a gambling debt. --arbuthnot.

   play pleasure, idle amusement. obs. --bacon.

   a play upon words, the use of a word in such a way as to be
      capable of double meaning; punning.

   play of colors, prismatic variation of colors.

   to bring into play, to come into play, to bring or come
      into use or exercise.

   to hold in play, to keep occupied or employed.
      1913 webster

            i, with two more to help me,
            will hold the foe in play.            --macaulay.
      1913 webster
see also:
play actor play debt play pleasure a play upon words play of colors to bring into play 
to come into play to hold in play 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

play \play\, v. t.
   1. to put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a
      fortification; to play a trump.
      1913 webster

            first peace and silence all disputes control,
            then order plays the soul.            --herbert.
      1913 webster

   2. to perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.
      1913 webster

   3. to perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to
      play a waltz on the violin.
      1913 webster

   4. to bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in
      action; to execute; as, to play tricks.
      1913 webster

            nature here
            wantoned as in her prime, and played at will
            her virgin fancies.                   --milton.
      1913 webster

   5. 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.
      1913 webster

            thou canst play the rational if thou wilt. --sir w.
                                                  scott.
      1913 webster

   6. 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.
      1913 webster

   7. to keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.
      1913 webster

   to play hob, to play the part of a mischievous spirit; to
      work mischief.

   to play off, to display; to show; to put in exercise; as,
      to play off tricks.

   to play one's cards, to manage one's means or
      opportunities; to contrive.

   played out, tired out; exhausted; at the end of one's
      resources. colloq.
      1913 webster
see also:
to play hob to play off to play one's cards played out 

[4] : WordNet (r) 2.0

play
     n 1: a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a
          stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced
          on broadway" syn: drama, dramatic play
     2: a theatrical performance of a drama; "the play lasted two
        hours"
     3: a preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up
        the plays for her team"
     4: a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and
        skill; "he made a great maneuver"; "the runner was out on
        a play by the shortstop" syn: maneuver, manoeuvre
     5: a state in which action is feasible; "the ball was still in
        play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play"
     6: utilization or exercise; "the play of the imagination"
     7: an attempt to get something; "they made a futile play for
        power"; "he made a bid to gain attention" syn: bid
     8: play by children that is guided more by imagination than by
        fixed rules; "freud believed in the utility of play to a
        small child" syn: child's play
     9: in games or plays or other performances the time during
        which play proceeds; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning"
        syn: playing period, period of play
     10: the removal of constraints; "he gave free rein to his
         impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent"
         syn: free rein
     11: a weak and tremulous light; "the shimmer of colors on
         iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water"
         syn: shimmer
     12: verbal wit often at another's expense but not to be taken
         seriously; "he became a figure of fun" syn: fun, sport
     13: movement or space for movement; "there was too much play in
         the steering wheel" syn: looseness ant: tightness
     14: gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or
         amusement; "it was all done in play"; "their frolic in
         the surf threatened to become ugly" syn: frolic, romp,
          gambol, caper
     15: the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning
         including the payment of a price for a chance to win a
         prize; "his gambling cost him a fortune"; "there was
         heavy play at the blackjack table" syn: gambling, gaming
     16: the activity of doing something in an agreed succession; "it
         is my turn"; "it is still my play" syn: turn
     17: the act using a sword or other weapon vigorously and
         skillfully syn: swordplay
     v 1: participate in games or sport; "we played hockey all
          afternoon"; "play cards"; "pele played for the brazilian
          teams in many important matches"
     2: act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific
        effect or outcome; "this factor played only a minor part
        in his decision"; "this development played into her
        hands"; "i played no role in your dismissal"
     3: play on an instrument; "the band played all night long"
     4: play a role or part; "gielgud played hamlet"; "she wants to
        act lady macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "she
        played the servant to her husband's master" syn: act, represent
     5: be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in
        a way characteristic of children; "the kids were playing
        outside all day"; "i used to play with trucks as a little
        girl"
     6: replay as a melody; "play it again, sam"; "she played the
        third movement very beautifully" syn: spiel
     7: perform music on a musical instrument; "he plays the
        flute"; "can you play on this old recorder?"
     8: pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "he
        acted the idiot"; "she plays deaf when the news are bad"
        syn: act, act as
     9: move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly; "the
        spotlights played on the politicians"
     10: bet or wager money; "he played $20 on the new horse"; "she
         plays the races"
     11: engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy
         oneself in a diversion; "on weekends i play"; "the
         students all recreate alike" syn: recreate
     12: pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful
         activity; "let's play like i am mommy"; "play cowboy and
         indians"
     13: emit recorded sound; "the tape was playing for hours"; "the
         stereo was playing beethoven when i entered"
     14: perform on a certain location; "the prodigy played carnegie
         hall at the age of 16"; "she has been playing on broadway
         for years"
     15: put a card or piece into play during a game, or act
         strategically as if in a card game; "he is playing his
         cards close to his chest"; "the democrats still have some
         cards to play before they will concede the electoral
         victory"
     16: engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take
         it seriously; "they played games on their opponents";
         "play the stockmarket"; "play with her feelings"; "toy
         with an idea" syn: toy
     17: behave in a certain way; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play
         fair"
     18: cause to emit recorded sounds; "they ran the tapes over and
         over again"; "can you play my favorite record?" syn: run
     19: manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination; "she
         played nervously with her wedding ring"; "don't fiddle
         with the screws"; "he played with the idea of running for
         the senate" syn: toy, fiddle, diddle
     20: use to one's advantage; "she plays on her clients' emotions"
     21: consider not very seriously; "he is trifling with her"; "she
         plays with the thought of moving to tasmania" syn: dally,
          trifle
     22: be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way;
         "this speech didn't play well with the american public";
         "his remarks played to the suspicions of the committee"
     23: behave carelessly or indifferently; "play about with a young
         girl's affection" syn: dally, toy, flirt
     24: cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space; "the
         engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
     25: perform on a stage or theater; "she acts in this play"; "he
         acted in `julius caesar'"; "i played in `a christmas
         carol'" syn: act, roleplay, playact
     26: be performed; "what's playing in the local movie theater?";
         "`cats' has been playing on broadway for many years"
     27: cause to happen or to occur as a consequence; "i cannot work
         a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a
         joke"; "the rain brought relief to the drought-stricken
         area" syn: bring, work, wreak, make for
     28: discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a
         continuous stream; "play water from a hose"; "the
         fountains played all day"
     29: make bets; "play the reaces"; "play the casinos in
         trouville"
     30: stake on the outcome of an issue; "i bet $100 on that new
         horse"; "she played all her money on the dark horse"
         syn: bet, wager
     31: shoot or hit in a particular manner; "she played a good
         backhand last night"
     32: use or move; "i had to play my queen"
     33: employ in a game or in a specific position; "they played him
         on first base"
     34: contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
         "princeton plays yale this weekend"; "charlie likes to
         play mary" syn: meet, encounter, take on
     35: exhaust by allowing to pull on the line; "play a hooked
         fish"
see also:
drama dramatic play maneuver manoeuvre bid child's play 
playing period period of play free rein shimmer fun 
sport looseness tightness frolic romp 
gambol caper gambling gaming turn 
swordplay act represent spiel act as 
recreate toy run fiddle diddle 
dally trifle flirt roleplay playact 
bring work wreak make for bet 
wager meet encounter take on 

[5] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

706 moby thesaurus words for "play":
   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, fortune,
   four-flush, foursome, free course, free hand, free play,
   free scope, freedom, fribble, frisk, frivol, frivolity, frolic,
   full scope, full swing, fun, fun and games, function, functioning,
   funmaking, funny story, gag, gambit, gamble, gambling, gambol,
   game, games of chance, gaming, gammon, gasser, get top billing,
   gimmick, give, giveaway, glancing light, go, go along with,
   good one, good story, good time, great fun, gush, handbook, handle,
   happening, have effect, have free play, have fun, have play,
   hazard, hazarding, headroom, hesitate, hexadecimal system,
   high old time, high time, highlight, histrionize, hit, hit show,
   holograph, horse around, horseplay, howler, idle, impersonate,
   impose on, improvisational drama, improvise, information,
   input data, input quantity, instructions, interpret, jape,
   jerk off, jest, jestbook, jet, jockey, join in, joke, kid around,
   lambency, latitude, laugh, laughs, lay, lay a wager, lay down,
   leeway, legitimate drama, let on, let on like, letter, light show,
   literae scriptae, literary artefact, literary production,
   literature, loiter, long rope, looseness, lot, lovely time, luck,
   lucubration, machine language, make, make a bet, make a pretense,
   make as if, make believe, make go, make light of, make like,
   make music, make out like, make use of, malfunction, manage,
   maneuver, maneuvering space, manipulate, manuscript, margin,
   masque, masquerade as, match, match coins, matter, meet,
   meet a bet, melodrama, merrymaking, mess around, mess with,
   message, militate, mime, mimic, minimize, minstrel show, miracle,
   miracle play, misbehave, misuse, monkey, monkey around,
   monkey business, monodrama, monologue, morality, morality play,
   motion, move, movement, movements, multiple messages, music drama,
   musical revue, mystery, mystery play, no holds barred, noise,
   nonfiction, numeric data, occupation, octal system, open space,
   opera, operate, operation, operations, opus, original,
   oscillograph data, output data, output quantity, overact, pageant,
   panel show, panic, pantomime, paper, parchment, parlay,
   participate, participate in, pass, pass for, pastoral,
   pastoral drama, patter, pentathlon, percolate, perform, perform on,
   perk, personate, philander, picnic, piddle, piece,
   piece of writing, pilot, place, play a part, play a scene,
   play against, play around, play at dice, play ball, play by ear,
   play down, play for time, play of light, play on, play possum,
   play the game, play the lead, play the ponies, play up, play up to,
   play with, play-off, playact, playing, playlet, pleasant time,
   pleasure, ploy, plunge, ply, poem, point, polar data, portray,
   pose as, potter, practice, praxis, pretend, pretend to be,
   printed matter, printout, problem play, proceed, procrastinate,
   production, profess, psychodrama, punch-card data, punt, put,
   put on, put on airs, putter, quiver, quivering, quiz show, race,
   radio drama, raffle off, random data, range, reading matter,
   recension, recreate, recreation, rectangular data,
   reference quantity, register, render, revelry, review, revue,
   rib tickler, riot, risk, risking, rival, rollick, romp, room,
   room to spare, rope, ruly english, run, run around, runoff, scope,
   scream, screed, scrip, script, scrive, scroll, sea room,
   second draft, see, see to, sensational play, serial, serve, set,
   sham, shoot craps, shot, show, sick joke, sidesplitter, sight gag,
   signals, simulate, single messages, singles, sitcom,
   situation comedy, sketch, skip, skit, skylarking, sleep around,
   smatter, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, soft-soap, sortition, space,
   spare room, spectacle, speculate, speculation, spew, spit, sport,
   sporting, sportiveness, spotlight, spout, spray, spritz, spurt,
   spurtle, squirt, stage play, stage show, stake, staking,
   stall for time, stand pat, star, steal the show, steer, stooge,
   story, straight drama, stratagem, stress, success, suck up to,
   surge, suspense drama, swing, symphonize, tableau, tableau vivant,
   take, take advantage of, take care of, take effect, take off,
   take on, take part in, take up, talk show, tease, teleplay,
   television drama, television play, temporize, the written word,
   theater of cruelty, think about, think nothing of, threesome, tick,
   tinker, toady to, tolerance, tomfoolery, toss, total theater, toy,
   toy with, trade on, transcript, transcription, tread the boards,
   treatment, trifle, trifle with, trip, troupe, truckle to,
   tug the heartstrings, twiddle, twosome, typescript, uncertainty,
   underline, underscore, undertake, unorganized data, upstage, use,
   utilize, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show, vehicle,
   venture, version, vie with, visible-speech data, visual joke,
   vomit, vomit forth, vomit out, wager, wagering, waver, way, wear,
   well, wheeze, wide berth, wield, wile, wing it, womanize,
   word-of-mouth success, work, work together, working, workings, wow,
   writing, yarn

[6] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

play
     
         a language for real-time music synthesis.
        1977.
     
        "an introduction to the play program", j. chadabe ete al,
        computer music j 2,1 1978.
     
        1999-06-04
     
     
see also:
real-time 

Play >> P Words
Play, definition of term: Play
play_pag1.html

Play Back >> P Words
Play Back, definition of term: Play Back
play+back_pag1.html

Play Down >> P Words
Play Down, definition of term: Play Down
play+down_pag1.html

Play Group >> P Words
Play Group, definition of term: Play Group
play+group_pag1.html

Play Out >> P Words
Play Out, definition of term: Play Out
play+out_pag1.html

Passion Play >> P Words
Passion Play, definition of term: Passion Play
passion+play_pag1.html

Mystery Play >> M Words
Mystery Play, definition of term: Mystery Play
mystery+play_pag1.html

Foul Play >> F Words
Foul Play, definition of term: Foul Play
foul+play_pag1.html

Match Play >> M Words
Match Play, definition of term: Match Play
match+play_pag1.html

Miracle Play >> M Words
Miracle Play, definition of term: Miracle Play
miracle+play_pag1.html

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