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play

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.

play

In zoology, actions that have all the elements of purposeful behaviour but are performed for no apparent reason. Play has been documented only among mammals and birds. It is most common among immature animals, but adult animals also play. Horses, cattle, and other ungulates run and kick up their heels even when not fleeing from predators or defending themselves. Dogs adopt an aggressive posture to entice others to join in mock combat. Otters are well known for their mud sliding. Male birds may spontaneously perform their territorial songs when there is no intruding rival.

(language, music)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)].
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Think you that I play at jetan for you without first knowing something of the stake for which I play?
The Chessmen of Mars by Burroughs, Edgar Rice View in context
The play continued for a few minutes, and then suddenly, without any warning, Harlequin stopped talking.
The Adventures Of Pinocchio by Collodi, Carlo View in context
You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
English Literature For Boys And Girls by Marshall, H.E. View in context
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