The Collaborative International Dictionary
Play \Play\, v. t.
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To put in action or motion; as, to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump.
First Peace and Silence all disputes control, Then Order plays the soul.
--Herbert. To perform music upon; as, to play the flute or the organ.
To perform, as a piece of music, on an instrument; as, to play a waltz on the violin.
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To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute; as, to play tricks.
Nature here Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will Her virgin fancies.
--Milton. -
To act or perform (a play); to represent in music action; as, to play a comedy; also, to act in the character of; to represent by acting; to simulate; to behave like; as, to play King Lear; to play the woman.
Thou canst play the rational if thou wilt.
--Sir W. Scott. To engage in, or go together with, as a contest for amusement or for a wager or prize; as, to play a game at baseball.
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To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.
To play hob, to play the part of a mischievous spirit; to work mischief.
To play off, to display; to show; to put in exercise; as, to play off tricks.
To play one's cards, to manage one's means or opportunities; to contrive.
Played out, tired out; exhausted; at the end of one's resources. [Colloq.]
Usage examples of "to play hob".
Without a horse I was going to play hob gettin' anywhere, but I could surely try.
Mutiny in Fleet's going to play hob with shipping schedules, ours included.
Mutiny in Fleets going to play hob with shipping schedules, ours included.
All the junk that avalanche brought down with it is going to play hob with our sonar and DIR, so the thermals are probably going to be the best we have today.
Since the Nileans were by nature a little more impulsive and a little less stubborn than their opponents it was likely that they would be the first to agree that it is unprofitable to play hob with common property (or rather, common non-property) such as the empty space between worlds.