Library / English Dictionary

PLAYER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: player   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A theatrical performer

Synonyms:

actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("player" is a kind of...):

performer; performing artist (an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "player"):

actress (a female actor)

barnstormer; play-actor; playactor; trouper (an actor who travels around the country presenting plays)

character actor (an actor who specializes in playing supporting roles)

comedian (an actor in a comedy)

ham; ham actor (an unskilled actor who overacts)

heavy (an actor who plays villainous roles)

ingenue (an actress who specializes in playing the role of an artless innocent young girl)

leading man (actor who plays the leading male role)

mime; mimer; mummer; pantomimer; pantomimist (an actor who communicates entirely by gesture and facial expression)

plant (an actor situated in the audience whose acting is rehearsed but seems spontaneous to the audience)

reenactor (a person who enacts a role in an event that occurred earlier)

scene-stealer (an actor who draws more attention than other actors in the same scene)

movie actor; screen actor (an actor who plays a role in a film)

lead; principal; star (an actor who plays a principal role)

extra; spear carrier; supernumerary (a minor actor in crowd scenes)

tragedian (an actor who specializes in tragic roles)

standby; understudy (an actor able to replace a regular performer when required)

upstager (a selfish actor who upstages the other actors)

walk-on (plays a small part in a dramatic production)

Instance hyponyms:

Allen; Allen Stewart Konigsberg; Woody Allen (United States filmmaker and comic actor (1935-))

Astaire; Fred Astaire (United States dancer and cinema actor noted for his original and graceful tap dancing (1899-1987))

Barrymore; Herbert Blythe; Maurice Barrymore (United States actor; husband of Georgiana Emma Barrymore and father of Ethel Barrymore and John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (1847-1905))

Barrymore; Lionel Barrymore (United States actor; son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1878-1954))

Barrymore; John Barrymore (United States actor; son of Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Barrymore (1882-1942))

Bogart; Humphrey Bogart; Humphrey DeForest Bogart (United States film actor (1899-1957))

Booth; John Wilkes Booth (United States actor and assassin of President Lincoln (1838-1865))

Burbage; Richard Burbage (English actor who was the first to play the leading role in several of Shakespeare's tragedies (1567-1619))

Burton; Richard Burton (Welsh film actor who often co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor (1925-1984))

Cagney; James Cagney; Jimmy Cagney (United States film actor known for his portrayals of tough characters (1899-1986))

Chevalier; Maurice Chevalier (French actor and cabaret singer (1888-1972))

Cooper; Frank Cooper; Gary Cooper (United States film actor noted for his portrayals of strong silent heroes (1901-1961))

Coward; Noel Coward; Sir Noel Pierce Coward (English dramatist and actor and composer noted for his witty and sophisticated comedies (1899-1973))

Cronyn; Hume Blake Cronyn; Hume Cronyn (Canadian actor who frequently played character parts with his wife Jessica Tandy (1911-2003))

Bing Crosby; Crosby; Harry Lillis Crosby (United States singer and film actor (1903-1977))

Dean; James Byron Dean; James Dean (United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955))

De Niro; Robert De Niro (United States film actor who frequently plays tough characters (born 1943))

Depardieu; Gerard Depardieu (French film actor (born in 1948))

Drew; John Drew (United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862))

Douglas Elton Fairbanks; Douglas Fairbanks; Fairbanks; Julius Ullman (United States film actor noted for his swashbuckling roles (1883-1939))

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; Fairbanks (United States film actor; son of Douglas Elton Fairbanks, (1909-2000))

Fonda; Henry Fonda (United States film actor (1905-1982))

Clark Gable; Gable; William Clark Gable (United States film actor (1901-1960))

David Garrick; Garrick (English actor and theater manager who was the foremost Shakespearean actor of his day (1717-1779))

Gibson; Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson; Mel Gibson (Australian actor (born in the United States in 1956))

Arthur John Gielgud; Gielgud; Sir John Gielgud (English actor of Shakespearean roles who was also noted for appearances in films (1904-2000))

Cary Grant; Grant (United States actor (born in England) who was the elegant leading man in many films (1904-1986))

Granville-Barker; Harley Granville-Barker (English actor and dramatist and critic and director noted for his productions of Shakespearean plays (1877-1946))

Alec Guinness; Guinness; Sir Alec Guinness (English stage and screen actor noted for versatility (1914-2000))

Hanks; Thomas J. Hanks; Tom Hanks (United States film actor (born in 1956))

Harrison; Reginald Carey Harrison; Rex Harrison; Sir Rex Harrison (English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990))

Heming; Hemminge; John Heming; John Hemminge (English actor who edited the first folio of Shakespeare's plays (1556-1630))

Dustin Hoffman; Hoffman (versatile United States film actor (born in 1937))

Anthony Hopkins; Hopkins; Sir Anthony Hopkins; Sir Anthony Philip Hopkins (Welsh film actor (born in 1937))

Howard; Leslie Howard; Leslie Howard Stainer (English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943))

Al Jolson; Asa Yoelson; Jolson (United States singer (born in Russia) who appeared in the first full-length talking film (1886-1950))

Boris Karloff; Karloff; William Henry Pratt (United States film actor (born in England) noted for his performances in horror films (1887-1969))

Edmund Kean; Kean (English actor noted for his portrayals of Shakespeare's great tragic characters (1789-1833))

Buster Keaton; Joseph Francis Keaton; Keaton (United States comedian and actor in silent films noted for his acrobatic skills and deadpan face (1895-1966))

Eugene Curran Kelly; Gene Kelly; Kelly (United States dancer who performed in many musical films (1912-1996))

Charles Laughton; Laughton (United States film actor (born in England) (1899-1962))

Bruce Lee; Lee; Lee Yuen Kam (United States actor who was an expert in kung fu and starred in martial arts films (1941-1973))

Jack Lemmon; John Uhler; Lemmon (United States film actor (1925-2001))

Harold Clayton Lloyd; Harold Lloyd; Lloyd (United States comic actor in silent films; he used physical danger as a source of comedy (1893-1971))

Laszlo Lowestein; Lorre; Peter Lorre (United States actor (born in Hungary) noted for playing sinister roles (1904-1964))

Bela Ferenc Blasko; Bela Lugosi; Lugosi (United States film actor (born in Hungary) noted for portraying monsters (1884-1956))

Alfred Lunt; Lunt (United States actor who performed with his wife Lynn Fontanne in many stage productions (1893-1977))

E. G. Marshall; Marshall (United States actor (1914-1998))

Martin; Steve Martin (United States actor and comedian (born in 1945))

James Mason; James Neville Mason; Mason (English film actor (1909-1984))

Mitchum; Robert Mitchum (United States film actor (1917-1997))

Dudley Moore; Dudley Stuart John Moore; Moore (English actor and comedian who appeared on television and in films (born in 1935))

Newman; Paul Leonard Newman; Paul Newman (United States film actor (born in 1925))

Baron Olivier of Birghton; Laurence Olivier; Olivier; Sir Laurence Kerr Olivier (English actor best know for his Shakespearean roles (1907-1989))

O'Toole; Peter O'Toole; Peter Seamus O'Toole (British actor (born in Ireland in 1932))

Poitier; Sidney Poitier (United States film actor and director (born in 1927))

Charles Robert Redford; Redford; Robert Redford (United States actor and filmmaker who starred with Paul Newman in several films (born in 1936))

Ralph Richardson; Richardson; Sir Ralph David Richardson (British stage and screen actor noted for playing classic roles (1902-1983))

Edward G. Robinson; Edward Goldenberg Robinson; Robinson (United States film actor noted for playing gangster roles (1893-1973))

George C. Scott; Scott (award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999))

Peter Sellers; Sellers (English comic actor (1925-1980))

Francis Albert Sinatra; Frank Sinatra; Sinatra (United States singer and film actor (1915-1998))

Otis Skinner; Skinner (United States actor (1858-1942))

Konstantin Sergeevich Alekseev; Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky; Konstantin Stanislavsky; Stanislavsky (Russian actor and theater director who trained his actors to emphasize the psychological motivation of their roles (1863-1938))

James Maitland Stewart; Jimmy Stewart; Stewart (United States film actor who portrayed incorruptible but modest heros (1908-1997))

Israel Strassberg; Lee Strasberg; Strasberg (United States actor and film director (born in Austria) who was a leader in developing method acting in the United States (1901-1982))

Erich von Stroheim; Stroheim (United States film actor (born in Austria) (1885-1957))

Spencer Tracy; Tracy (United States film actor who appeared in many films with Katharine Hepburn (1900-1967))

Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree; Tree (English actor and theatrical producer noted for his lavish productions of Shakespeare (1853-1917))

Peter Alexander Ustinov; Sir Peter Ustinov; Ustinov (British actor and playwright (1921-2004))

Duke Wayne; John Wayne; Wayne (United States film actor who played tough heroes (1907-1979))

George Orson Welles; Orson Welles; Welles (United States actor and filmmaker (1915-1985))

Derivation:

play (play a role or part)

play (perform on a stage or theater)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)

Synonyms:

instrumentalist; musician; player

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("player" is a kind of...):

performer; performing artist (an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "player"):

accompanist; accompanyist (a person who provides musical accompaniment (usually on a piano))

accordionist (a musician who plays the accordion)

concertinist (a person who plays the concertina)

bandsman (a player in a band (especially a military band))

bassist (a musician who play the bass viol)

bassoonist (a musician who plays the bassoon)

bell ringer (someone who plays musical handbells)

carillonneur (a musician who plays a carillon)

cellist; violoncellist (someone who plays a violoncello)

clarinetist; clarinettist (a musician who plays the clarinet)

flautist; flute player; flutist (someone who plays the flute)

gambist (a musician who performs upon the viola da gamba)

guitar player; guitarist (a musician who plays the guitar)

harmoniser; harmonizer (a musician who sings or plays in harmony)

harper; harpist (someone who plays the harp)

harpsichordist (someone who plays the harpsichord)

hornist (a musician who plays a horn (especially a French horn))

jazz musician; jazzman (a musician who plays or composes jazz music)

keyboardist (a musician who plays a keyboard instrument)

koto player (a musician who plays the koto)

lutanist; lutenist; lutist (a musician who plays the lute)

oboist (a musician who plays the oboe)

organist (a person who plays an organ)

percussionist (a musician who plays percussion instruments)

pianist; piano player (a person who plays the piano)

bagpiper; piper (someone who plays the bagpipe)

recorder player (someone who plays the recorder)

rhythm and blues musician (a performer (and sometimes composer) of rhythm and blues music)

rock 'n' roll musician; rocker (a performer or composer or fan of rock music)

saxist; saxophonist (a musician who plays the saxophone)

singer; vocaliser; vocalist; vocalizer (a person who sings)

sitar player (a musician who plays the sitar)

soloist (a musician who performs a solo)

trombone player; trombonist (a musician who plays the trombone)

cornetist; trumpeter (a musician who plays the trumpet or cornet)

vibist; vibraphonist (a musician who plays the vibraphone)

fiddler; violinist (a musician who plays the violin)

violist (a musician who plays the viola)

Holonyms ("player" is a member of...):

musical group; musical organisation; musical organization (an organization of musicians who perform together)

Derivation:

play (play on an instrument)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Someone who takes part in an activity

Example:

he was a major player in setting up the corporation

Synonyms:

participant; player

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("player" is a kind of...):

associate (a person who joins with others in some activity or endeavor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "player"):

attendant; attendee; attender; meeter (a person who is present and participates in a meeting)

discussant (a participant in a formal discussion)

bride (a woman participant in her own marriage ceremony)

bridegroom; groom (a man participant in his own marriage ceremony)

masker; masquer; masquerader (a participant in a masquerade)

partaker; sharer (someone who has or gives or receives a part or a share)

retreatant (a participant in a religious retreat)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A person who participates in or is skilled at some game

Synonyms:

participant; player

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("player" is a kind of...):

contestant (a person who participates in competitions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "player"):

ballplayer; baseball player (an athlete who plays baseball)

billiard player (someone who plays billiards)

bowler (a player who rolls balls down an alley at pins)

card player (someone who plays (or knows how to play) card games)

chess player (someone who plays the game of chess)

dart player (someone who plays the game of darts)

football player; footballer (an athlete who plays American football)

golf player; golfer; linksman (someone who plays the game of golf)

grandmaster (a player of exceptional or world class skill in chess or bridge)

hockey player; ice-hockey player (an athlete who plays hockey)

lacrosse player (an athlete who plays lacrosse)

most valuable player; MVP (the player judged to be the most important to the sport)

playmaker (a player in a team sport who leads attacks or maneuvers in such a way that a teammate can score)

pool player (someone who shoots pool)

scorer (a player who makes a score in a game or contest)

seed; seeded player (one of the outstanding players in a tournament)

server ((court games) the player who serves to start a point)

shooter ((sports) a player who drives or kicks a ball at the goal (or a basketball player who shoots at the basket))

soccer player (an athlete who plays soccer)

stringer (a member of a squad on a team)

tennis player (an athlete who plays tennis)

volleyball player (someone who plays the game of volleyball)

Derivation:

play (participate in games or sport)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A person who pursues a number of different social and sexual partners simultaneously

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("player" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The whist party soon afterwards breaking up, the players gathered round the other table and Mr. Collins took his station between his cousin Elizabeth and Mrs. Phillips.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Previously we were unsure who would be the major player in this battle, and who would dominate the gravitational battle ahead.

(No Winner in Milky Way-Andromeda Clash, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The room and the house were silent: only now and then the merriment of the billiard-players was heard from above.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Summarizes probe sets using the 'player out' statistical algorithm.

(Bioconductor caAffy Player Out Probe Summary Method, NCI Thesaurus)

I think Miss Fairfax dances very well; and Mrs. Weston is the very best country-dance player, without exception, in England.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

If, then, Mortimer Tregennis disappeared from the scene, and yet some outside person affected the card-players, how can we reconstruct that person, and how was such an impression of horror conveyed?

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He had played nearly every day at one club or other, but he was a cautious player, and usually rose a winner.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It occurs in tennis players as well as housewives, artisans, and violinists.

(Lateral Epicondylitis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Anti-inflammatory drugs quiet the immune system by disarming cytokines, a protein that is a major player in the body’s inflammatory response.

(Anti-inflammatory Drugs Also Fight Depression, Voanews)

But to win the battles, the player needs to apply math skills of elementary school.

(Brazilian professor creates mobile game that combines fun with mathematics, Agência Brasil)