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2 : a group of football players trained either for offense or for defense and sent into the game as a body

platoon sergeant noun : a noncommissioned officer in the army ranking below a first sergeant

plat·ter noun 1 : a large serving plate

2 : a phonograph record

platy noun, plural platy or plat·ys or plat·ies : either of two small stocky usu. brilliantly colored bony fishes often kept in tropical aquariums

platy·pus noun, plural platy·pus·es also platy·pi [ORIGIN: NL, fr. Gk platypous flat-footed, fr. platys broad, flat + pous foot]

: a small aquatic egg-laying marsupial mammal of Australia with webbed feet and a fleshy bill like a duck's

plau·dit noun : an act of applause

plau·si·ble adjective [ORIGIN: L plausibilis worthy of applause, fr. plausus, pp. of plaudere to applaud]

: seemingly worthy of belief

— plau·si·bil·i·ty noun

— plau·si·bly adverb

Synonyms

believable, credible, likely, probable—more at BELIEVABLE

1play noun 1 : brisk handling of something (as a weapon)

2 : the course of a game; also : a particular act or maneuver in a game

3 : recreational activity; especially : the spontaneous activity of children

4 : absence of serious or harmful intent : JEST

5 : the act or an instance of punning

6 : GAMBLING

7 : the state of being active, operative, or relevant : OPERATION

8 : a brisk or light movement

9 : free motion (as of part of a machine)

10 : scope for action

11 : PUBLICITY

12 : an effort to arouse liking

13 : a stage representation of a drama; also : a dramatic composition

14 : a function of an electronic device that causes a recording to play

— in play

: in condition or position to be played

Synonyms

[3] dalliance, frolic, fun, relaxation, sport; also gamboling; romping, amusement, diversion, entertainment; delight, enjoyment, pleasure; friskiness, playfulness, wantonness; devilment, devilry, hob, impishness, mischief, mischievousness, rascality, roguishness, waggery; binge, fling, lark, revel, spree; hilarity, merrymaking, revelry; buffoonery, horseplay, tomfoolery

[7] application, employment, exercise, operation, use—more at USE

2play verb 1 : to engage in recreation : FROLIC

2 : to handle or behave lightly or absentmindedly

3 : to make a pun <~ on words>

4 : to take advantage <~ on fears>

5 : to move or operate in a brisk or irregular manner

6 : to perform music <~ on a violin>; also : to perform (music) on an instrument <~ a waltz>

7 : to perform music upon <~ the piano>; also : to sound in performance

8 : to cause to emit sounds <~ a radio>; also : to cause to reproduce recorded material <~ a DVD>

9 a : to act in a dramatic medium

b : to act in the character of <~ the hero>

10 : GAMBLE

11 a : to behave in a specified way <~ safe>

b : to feign a specified state or quality

c : COOPERATE <~ along with him>

12 : to deal with; also : EMPHASIZE <~ up her good qualities>

13 : to perform for amusement <~ a trick>

14 : WREAK

15 : to contend with in a game; also : to fill (a certain position) on a team

16 : to make wagers on <~ the races>

17 : WIELD, PLY

18 : to keep in action

Synonyms

[1] dally, disport, frolic, recreate, rollick, sport; also gambol, romp; dabble, trifle; amuse, divert, entertain; delight, please; dabble, mess (around), putter; bum (around), dawdle, goldbrick, idle, loaf, lounge (around or about), relax, rest, slack (off); jest, joke, tease

[2] fiddle, fool, mess, monkey, potter, putter, trifle

usually play with [2] fiddle, fool, mess, monkey, tamper, tinker—more at TAMPER (WITH)

usually play on or play upon [4] abuse, capitalize, cash in, exploit, impose, use—more at EXPLOIT

[9b] act, impersonate, perform, portray—more at ACT

[11b] impersonate, masquerade, pose—more at IMPERSONATE

play·act·ing noun 1 : performance in theatrical productions

2 : insincere or artificial behavior

play·back noun : an act of reproducing recorded sound