player
nounUK /ˈpleɪ.ə(ɹ)/ · US /ˈpleɪ.ɚ/
Etymology From Middle English pleyer, playere, from Old English pleġere (“player, athlete, wrestler”), from Proto-West Germanic *plegārī. Equivalent to play + -er.
12 senses
- 1One who plays any game or sport.
- 2An actor in a dramatic play.
- 3One who plays on a musical instrument.
- 4A gamer; a person of video games or similar.
- 5A gambler.
- 6A mechanism that actuates a player piano or other…
- 7An electronic device that plays audio or video media.
- 8A software application that plays audio or video media…
- 9One who is playful; one without serious aims; an idler…
- 10A participant; one involved in something.
- 11One who participates in a particular type of sexual play.
- 12A person who plays the field rather than having a…
› One that plays.
1
One who plays any game or sport.
- He is a player for the Australian team.
2
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Theater An actor in a dramatic play.
- All the world's a ſtage, / And all the men and women, merely Playersc. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], page 194, column 1:
3
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music One who plays on a musical instrument.
4
Games, Gaming, Video games A gamer; a person of video games or similar.
- He is an avid Minecraft player.
- The player is free to create their own narrative within a much larger set of possible designed narrative options, or, given the geographic and dialogical openness of Morrowind, to refuse the creation of any narrative but their own and wander aimlessly through the game.2015, Angus Slater, “Prophecy, Pre-destination, and Free-form Gameplay: The Nerevarine Prophecy in Bethesda’s ‘Morrowind’”, in Online: Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, volume 7, →DOI, page 175:
6
Historical A mechanism that actuates a player piano or other automatic musical instrument.
- But up to this time the application of the player mechanism had been confined to reed instruments, the piano manufacturers having successfully resisted the introduction of the player mechanism into the piano; but, in the meantime, the manufacturers of players had grown strong and the manufacturers were beginning to properly interpret the handwriting on the wall1915, John McTammany, The Technical History of the Player:
- A Technical Treatise on Piano Player Mechanism" contains detailed description of the various types of interior and exterior players, embracing manual, pneumatic, automatic, mechanical and electric1909, William Braid White, Regulation and Repair of Piano and Player Mechanism, ..., page 179:
1 more example
- Electric players used either a four-lobe rotary pump belt-driven by an electric motor or a self-contained electric motor and ...1970, Arthur W. J. G. Ord-Hume, Player piano: the history of the mechanical piano and how to repair it:
7
Business, Electrical engineering, Electricity, Electromagnetism, Electronics, Energy, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics An electronic device that plays audio or video media.
- Is your CD player broken, or is this one disc damaged?
8
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A software application that plays audio or video media, such as a media player.
9
One who is playful; one without serious aims; an idler; a trifler.
10
A participant; one involved in something.
- He thought he could become a player, at least at the state level.
- a major player in the direct banking sector
3 more examples
- Decision realities research recognizes the occupational tribalism identified in occupational realities research, but goes further by paying attention to all the players – patients and lay caregivers included – who participate in negotiating care.2011, Suzanne Shale, Moral Leadership in Medicine, page 239:
- Another Bush — George W.’s brother Jeb — is likely to be a big player in the Republican Party’s future.2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times:
- As the biggest rail player, Network Rail was usually held accountable for failings, but had no authority to change anything to solve the problems. The DfT had been given that authority in 2004 - but consistently ducked accountability.2021 March 10, Nigel Harris, “It's time to get on with it!”, in RAIL, number 926, page 3:
11
One who participates in a particular type of sexual play.
- In this space we explored lesbian sadomasochism, met other S/M women who were serious players, had access to safe equipment and, through watching other women, learned new techniques.1991 April 22, Wickie Stamps, “A Lesbian Looks At The GMSMA's 10ᵗʰ Anniversary Celebration”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
12
Informal A person who plays the field rather than having a long-term sexual relationship.
- Thunder only happens when it’s rainin’ / Players only love you when they’re playin’ / Say women, they will come and they will go / When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know1977, Stevie Nicks, “Dreams”, in Rumours, performed by Fleetwood Mac, Warner Bros.:
- Derived terms
106 terms
advantage player, back gammon player, badminton player, ball player, baseball player, basketball player, bass player, beach volleyball player, bit player, Blu-ray player, bugle-player, bugle player, cardplayer, cassette player, CD player, cello player, chalk player, chessplayer, chess player, coplayer, cosplayer, DVD player, ear player, field hockey player, five tool player, five-tool player, flute-player, football player, gameplayer, gamesplayer, garmon player, gridiron football player, guitar-player, handball player, harp-player, hockey player, horseplayer, interplayer, jazz player, long player, long-player, marquee player, most valuable player, MP3 player, MP4 player, multiplayer, multi-player, nonplayer, non-player character, oboe-player, outfield player, photoplayer, piano player, ping pong player, playerbase, player base, player character, playerdom, player escort, playeress, player-hater, player hater, playerhood, playerish, playerless, player-manager, player of the match, player piano, playersexual, playersexuality, playership, player versus environment, player versus player, player vs player, player vs. player, playette, playtron, polo player, proposition player, radio cassette player, record player, rôle-player, role-player, role player, roleplayer, rugby player, singleplayer, single-player, soccer player, squash player, stageplayer, string player, superplayer, table tennis player, tape player, team player, tennis player, trombone-player, trumpet-player, utility player, value over replacement player, VCD player, VHS player, volleyball player, water polo player, windplayer- Related terms
- baller