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3 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 :   [ gcide ]

  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. [root]28. 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]

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) :   [ web1913 ]

  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. [root]28. Cf. Plight,
     n.]
     1. To engage in sport or lively recreation; to exercise for
        the sake of amusement; to frolic; to spot.
  
              As Cannace was playing in her walk.   --Chaucer.
  
              The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy
              reason, would he skip and play!       --Pope.
  
              And some, the darlings of their Lord, Play smiling
              with the flame and sword.             --Keble.
  
     2. To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be
        careless.
  
              ``Nay,'' quod this monk, ``I have no lust to
              pleye.''                              --Chaucer.
  
              Men are apt to play with their healths. --Sir W.
                                                    Temple.
  
     3. To contend, or take part, in a game; as, to play ball;
        hence, to gamble; as, he played for heavy stakes.
  
     4. To perform on an instrument of music; as, to play on a
        flute.
  
              One that . . . can play well on an instrument.
                                                    --Ezek.
                                                    xxxiii. 32.
  
              Play, my friend, and charm the charmer. --Granville.
  
     5. To act; to behave; to practice deception.
  
              His mother played false with a smith. --Shak.
  
     6. To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with
        alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate; to act; as,
        the fountain plays.
  
              The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs
              play.                                 --Cheyne.
  
     7. To move gayly; to wanton; to disport.
  
              Even as the waving sedges play with wind. --Shak.
  
              The setting sun Plays on their shining arms and
              burnished helmets.                    --Addison.
  
              All fame is foreign but of true desert, Plays round
              the head, but comes not to the heart. --Pope.
  
     8. To act on the stage; to personate a character.
  
              A lord will hear your play to-night.  --Shak.
  
              Courts are theaters where some men play. --Donne.
  
     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.
  
                  Art thou alive? Or is it fantasy that plays upon
                  our eyesight.                     --Shak.
        (b) To use in a droll manner; to give a droll expression
            or application to; as, to play upon words.

From English-Hungarian FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.2.1 :   [ freedict:eng-hun ]

  to play upon /tə plˈeɪ əpˌɒn/
  1. játszik (hangszeren)
  2. kihasznál
  3. tovább játszik

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