–noun

1.	a dramatic composition or piece; drama.

2.	a dramatic performance, as on the stage.

3.	exercise or activity for amusement or recreation.

4.	fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness: I said it merely in play.

5.

a pun.

6.	the playing, action, or conduct of a game: The pitcher was replaced in the fourth inning of play.

7.	the manner or style of playing or of doing something: We admired his fine play throughout the game.

8.	an act or instance of playing or of doing something: a stupid play that cost us the match.

9.	one's turn to play: Whose play is it?

10.	a playing for stakes; gambling.

11.	an attempt to accomplish something, often in a manner showing craft or calculation; maneuver: They tried to buy up the stock in a takeover play.

12.	an enterprise or venture; deal: an oil and drilling play.

13.	action, conduct, or dealing of a specified kind: fair 785 play; foul play.

14.	action, activity, or operation: the play of fancy.

15.	brisk, light, or changing movement or action: a fountain with a leaping play of water.

16.	elusive change or movement, as of light or colors: the play of a searchlight against the night sky.

17.	a space in which something, as a part of a mechanism, can move.

18.	freedom of movement within a space, as of a part of a mechanism.

19.	freedom for action, or scope for activity: full play of the mind.

20.	attention in the press or other media; coverage; dissemination as news: The birth of the panda got a big play in the papers.

21.	an act or instance of being broadcast: The governor's speech got two plays on our local station.

–verb (used with object)

22.	to act the part of (a person or character) in a dramatic performance; p 3e8 ortray: to play Lady Macbeth.

23.	to perform (a drama, pantomime, etc.) on or as if on the stage.

24.	to act or sustain (a part) in a dramatic performance or in real life: to play the role of benefactor.

25.	to act the part or character of in real life: to play the fool; to play God.

26.	to give performances in, as a theatrical company does: to play the larger cities.

27.	to engage in (a game, pastime, etc.).

28.	to contend against in a game.

29.	to function or perform as (a specified player) in a game or competition: He usually plays left end.

30.	to employ (a piece of equipment, a player, etc.) in a game: I played my highest card.

31.	to use as if in playing a game, as for one's own advantage: He played his brothers against each other.

111d

32.	to stake or wager, as in a game.

33.	to lay a wager or wagers on (something).

34.	to represent or imitate, as for recreation or in jest: to play cowboys and Indians.

35.	to perform on (a musical instrument).

36.	to perform (music) on an instrument.

37.	to cause (a phonograph, radio, recording, etc.) to produce sound or pictures: to play a tape; to play the radio.

38.	to do or perform: You shouldn't play tricks. Compromise plays an important part in marriage.

39.	to carry or put into operation; act upon: to play a hunch.

40.	to cause to move or change lightly or quickly: to play colored lights on a fountain.

41.	to operate or cause to operate, esp. continuously or with repeated action: to play a hose on a fire.

42.	to allow (a hooked fish) to exhaust itself by pulling on the line.

43.	to display or feature (a news story, photograph, etc.), esp. prominently: Play the flood photos on page one.

44.	to exploit or trade in (an investment, business opportunity, stock, etc.).

–verb (used without object)

45.	to exercise or employ oneself in diversion, amusement, or recreation.

46.	to do something in sport that is not to be taken seriously.

47.	to amuse oneself; toy; trifle (often fol. by with).

48.	to take part or engage in a game.

49.	to take part in a game for stakes; gamble.

50.	to conduct oneself or act in a specified way: to play fair.

51.	to act on or as if on the stage; perform.

52.	to perform on a musical instrument.

53.	(of an instrument or music) to sound in performance: The strings are playing well this evening.

54.	(of a phonograph, radio, recording, etc.) to give forth sound: The radio played all night.

55.	to be performed or shown: What's playing at the movie theater around the corner?

56.	to be capable of or suitable for performance, as a television or dramatic script: We hope this scene will play well.

57.	Informal. to be accepted or effective; fare: How will the senator's proposal play with the public?

58.	to move freely within a space, as a part of a mechanism.

59.	to move about lightly or quickly: The water of the fountain played in the air.

60.	to present the effect of such motion, as light or the changing colors of an iridescent substance: The lights played strangely over the faces of the actors.

61.	to operate continuously or with repeated action.

62.	Informal. to comply or cooperate: They wanted her to tell them what she knew about the plans, but she refused to play.

—Verb phrases

63.	play along, a. to cooperate or concur; go along. b. to pretend to cooperate or concur.

64.	play around, Informal. a. to behave in a playful or frivolous manner; fool around. b. to be sexually promiscuous. c. to be sexually unfaithful.

65.	play at, a. to pretend interest in: It's obvious that you're just playing at fishing for my sake. b. to do something without seriousness: He is merely playing at being a student.

66.	play back, to pla 78 y (a recording, esp. one newly made): Play it back and let's hear how I sound.

67.	play down, to treat as of little importance; belittle: He has consistently played down his own part in the successful enterprise.

68.

play off, a. Sports. to play an extra game or round in order to settle a tie. b. Sports. to engage in an elimination game or games after the regular season is over in order to determine the champion. c. to set (one person or thing) against another, usually for one's own gain or advantage: The children could usually get what they wanted by playing one parent off against the other.

69.	play on or upon, to exploit, as the feelings or weaknesses of another; take selfish advantage of: She would never think of playing on the good nature of others.

70.	play out, a. to bring to an end; finish. b. to use up; exhaust: to play out one's supplies. c. to reel or pay out, as a rope, line, etc.

71.	play up, to emphasize the importance of; highlight or publicize: The schools are playing up their science programs.

—Idioms

72.	bring into play, to put into motion; cause to be introduced: New evidence has been brought into play in this trial.

73.	come to play, Informal. to be disposed to play or participate in a manner reflecting a determination to win or succeed: We're a small new business, but we came to play.

74.	in or out of play, in or not in the state of being played during a game: The umpire says the ball was not in play.

75.	make a play for, Informal. a. to try to attract, esp. sexually: He made a play for his friend's girlfriend. b. to attempt to gain by impressing favorably: This ad will make a play for new consumer markets.

76.	play ball. ball1 (def. 23).

77.	play both ends against the middle, to maneuver opposing groups in order to benefit oneself.

78.	play by ear, to play (music or a musical instrument) without printed music, as by memory of what one has heard or by unschooled musical instinct.

79.	played out, a. exhausted; weary. b. out of fashion; hackneyed: New styles in clothing are soon played out in New York. c. used up; finished: The original tires were played out and had to be replaced.

80.	play fast and loose, to act in an irresponsible or inconsiderate manner, esp. to employ deception to gain one's ends: to play fast and loose with someone's affections.

81.	play for time, to prolong something in order to gain an advantage; forestall an event or decision: Their maneuvering at the conference was obviously calculated to play for time.

82.	play hardball. hardball (def. 4).

83.	play into the hands of, to act in such a way as to give an advantage to (someone, esp. an opponent): If you lose your temper when he insults you, you will be playing right into his hands. Also, play into (someone's) hands.

84.	play it by ear, to improvise, esp. in a challenging situation when confronted by unknown factors: If you can't come up with a plan, we'll just have to play it by ear.

85.	play one's cards. card1 (def. 21).

86 7f .

play politics. politics (def. 8).

87.	play possum. possum (def. 3).

88.	play second fiddle. second fiddle (def. 1).

89.	play the field. field (def. 39).

90.	play the game. game1 (def. 23).

91.	play up to, Informal. to attempt to impress in order to gain someone's favor: Students who too obviously play up to their teachers are usually disliked by their classmates.

92.	play with a full deck. deck (def. 23).

93.	play with fire. fire (def. 54).

94.	play with oneself, Informal. to masturbate.

–adjective

1.	lacking hue and brightness; absorbing light without reflecting any of the rays composing it.

2.	characterized by absence of light; enveloped in darkness: a black night.

3.	(sometimes initial capital letter) a. pertaining or belonging to any of the various populations characterized by dark skin pigmentation, specifically the dark-skinned peoples of Africa, Oceania, and Australia. b. African-American.

4.	soiled or stained with dirt: That shirt was black within an hour.

5.	gloomy; pessimistic; dismal: a black outl 785 ook.

6.	deliberately; harmful; inexcusable: a black lie.

7.	boding ill; sullen or hostile; threatening: black words; black looks.

8.	(of coffee or tea) without milk or cream.

9.	without any moral quality or goodness; evil; wicked: His black heart has concocted yet another black deed.

10.	indicating censure, disgrace, or liability to punishment: a black mark on one's record.

11.	marked by disaster or misfortune: black areas of drought; Black Friday.

12.	wearing black or dark clothing or armor: the black prince.

13.	based on the grotesque, morbid, or unpleasant aspects of life: black comedy; black humor.

14.	(of a check mark, flag, etc.) done or written in black to indicate, as on a list, that which is undesirable, sub-standard, potentially dangerous, etc.: Pilot 3e8 s put a black flag next to the ten most dangerous airports.

15.	illegal or underground: The black economy pays no taxes.

16.	showing a profit; not showing any losses: the first black quarter in two years.

17.	deliberately false or intentionally misleading: black propaganda.

18.	British. boycotted, as certain goods or products by a trade union.

19.	(of steel) in the form in which it comes from the rolling mill or forge; unfinished.

–noun

20.	the color at one extreme end of the scale of grays, opposite to white, absorbing all light incident upon it. Compare white (def. 19).

21.	(sometimes initial capital letter) a. a member of any of various dark-ski 111d nned peoples, esp. those of Africa, Oceania, and Australia. b. African-American.

22.	black clothing, esp. as a sign of mourning: He wore black at the funeral.

23.	Chess, Checkers. the dark-colored men or pieces or squares.

24.	black pigment: lamp black.

25.	Slang. black beauty.

26.	a horse or other animal that is entirely black.

–verb (used with object)

27.	to make black; put black on; blacken.

28.	British. to boycott or ban.

29.	to polish (shoes, boots, etc.) with blacking.

–verb (used without object)

30.	to become black; take on a black color; blacken.

–adverb

31.	(of coffee or tea) served without milk or cream.

—Verb phrase

32.

black out, a. to lose consciousness: He blacked out at the sight of blood. b. to erase, obliterate, or suppress: News reports were blacked out. c. to forget everything relating to a particular event, person, etc.: When it came to his war experiences he blacked out completely. d. Theater. to extinguish all of the stage lights. e. to make or become inoperable: to black out the radio broadcasts from the U.S. f. Military. to obscure by concealing all light in defense against air raids. g. Radio and Television. to impose a broadcast blackout on (an area). h. to withdraw or cancel (a special fare, sale, discount, etc.) for a designated period: The special air fare discount will be blacked out by the airlines over the holiday weekend. aa5

—Idioms

33.	black and white, a. print or writing: I want that agreement in black and white. b. a monochromatic picture done with black and white only. c. a chocolate soda containing vanilla ice cream.

34.	black or white, completely either one way or another, without any intermediate state.

35.	in the black, operating at a profit or being out of debt (opposed to in the red): New production methods put the company in the black.

–noun

1.	any of various portable devices for raising or lifting heavy objects short heights, using various mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulic methods.

2.	Also called knave. Cards. a playing card bearing the picture of a soldier or servant.

3.	Electricity. a connecting device in an electrical circuit designed for the insertion of a plug.

4.	(initial capital letter) Informal. fellow; buddy; man (usually used in addressing a stranger): Hey, Jack, which way to Jersey?

5.

Also called jackstone. Games. a. one of a set of small metal objects having six prongs, used in the game of ja 3e8 cks. b. one of any other set of objects, as pebbles, stones, etc., used in the game of jacks. c. jacks, (used with a singular verb) a children's game in which small metal objects, stones, pebbles, or the like, are tossed, caught, and moved on the ground in a number of prescribed ways, usually while bouncing a rubber ball.

6.	any of several carangid fishes, esp. of the genus Caranx, as C. hippos (crevalle jack or 376 jack crevalle), of the western Atlantic Ocean.

7.	Slang. money: He won a lot of jack at the races.

8.	Slang: Vulgar.. jack shit.

9.	Nautical. a. a small flag flown at th 111d e jack staff of a ship, bearing a distinctive design usually symbolizing the nationality of the vessel. b. Also called jack crosstree. either of a pair of crosstrees at the head of a topgallant mast, used to hold royal shrouds away from the mast.

10.	(initial capital letter) a sailor.

11.	a lumberjack.

12.	applejack.

13.	jack rabbit.

14.	a jackass.

15.	jacklight.

16.	a device for turning a spit.

17.	a small wooden rod in the mechanism of a harpsichord, spinet, or virginal that rises when the key is depressed and causes the attached plectrum to strike the string.

18.	Lawn Bowling. a small, usually white bowl or ball used as a mark for the bowlers to aim at.

19.	Also called clock jack. Horology. a mechanical figure that strikes a clock bell.

20.	a premigratory young male salmon.

21.	Theater. brace jack.

22.	Falconry. the male of a kestrel, hobby, or esp. of a merlin.

–verb (used with object)

23.	to lift or move (something) with or as if with a jack (usually fol. by up): to jack a car up to change a flat tire.

24.	Informal. to increase, raise, or accelerate (prices, wages, speed, etc.) (usually fol. by up).

25.	Informal. to boost the morale of; encourage (usually fol. by up).

26.	to jacklight.

–verb (used without object)

27.	to jacklight.

–adjective

28.	Carpentry. having a height or length less than that of most of the others in a structure; cripple: jack rafter; jack truss.

—Verb phrase

29.	jack off, Slang: Vulgar. to masturbate.

—Idiom

30.	every man jack, everyone without exception: They presented a formidable opposition, every man jack of them.