player

¹

[pley-er]

noun

1. a person or thing that plays.

2. a person who takes part or is skilled in some game or sport.

3. a person who plays parts on the stage; an actor.

4. a performer on a musical instrument.

5. Informal.,  a participant, as in a conference or business deal.

6. a machine or piece of software that reproduces sound or images: a videodisc player;

   a record player;

   a videodisc player;

   a digital media player.

7. a gambler.

8. Slang.,  a person engaged in illicit or illegal activity, especially a pimp.

9. a mechanical device by which a musical instrument, as a player piano, is played automatically.

Player

²

[pley-er]

noun

1. Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

player

¹

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. a person who participates in or is skilled at some game or sport

2. a person who plays a game or sport professionally

3. a person who plays a musical instrument

4. an actor

5. informal,  a participant, esp a powerful one, in a particular field of activity

   a leading city player

6. See record player

7. the playing mechanism in a Pianola

Player

²

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

1. Gary (ˈɡærɪ). born 1935, South African golfer: winner of nine major championships (1959–78), including the British Open (1959, 1968, 1974)

Other Word Forms

• counterplayer noun
• nonplayer noun
• self-player noun
• superplayer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of player¹

before 1000; Middle English pleyer, Old English plegere. See play, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Until the implementation of the backpass rule at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, goalkeepers were allowed to pick up the ball after receiving it from their own player.

From BBC

The relationship that built between player and coach was deep and, even after both departed Liverpool, they stayed in touch.

From BBC

Sean Smith and Sulee Riquelme-Smith were also at that dinner table in Liverpool - along with the forward, Beard and Russ Fraser, Liverpool's former women's managing director - and that will hardly surprise anyone who has followed the player's career.

From BBC

Her debut season in the WSL saw her score seven goals in 20 games for Liverpool, as well as being named the PFA young player of the year.

From BBC

But Smith will always be the player who was the first to breach the seven-figure mark, like Trevor Francis in the men's game in 1979, and that comes with its own, unique pressure.

From BBC

Related Words

• athlete 
• competitor 
• member 
• opponent 
• participant 
• pro 
• professional 
• rookie