playing

Other forms: playings

Definitions of playing
  1. noun
    the action of taking part in a game or sport or other recreation
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    bowling
    the playing of a game of tenpins or duckpins etc
    catching
    (baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
    golfing
    playing golf
    pitching
    (baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team
    type of:
    action
    something done (usually as opposed to something said)
  2. noun
    the performance of a part or role in a drama
    synonyms: acting, performing, playacting
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    characterisation, characterization, enactment, personation, portrayal
    acting the part of a character on stage; dramatically representing the character by speech and action and gesture
    impersonation, personation
    imitating the mannerisms of another person
    method, method acting
    an acting technique introduced by Stanislavsky in which the actor recalls emotions or reactions from his or her own life and uses them to identify with the character being portrayed
    dumb show, mime, pantomime
    a performance using gestures and body movements without words
    business, byplay, stage business
    incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect
    skit
    a short theatrical episode
    hamming, overacting
    poor acting by a ham actor
    heroics
    ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct
    reenactment
    performing a role in an event that occurred at an earlier time
    roleplaying
    acting a particular role (as in psychotherapy)
    impression
    an impressionistic portrayal of a person
    apery, mimicry
    the act of mimicking; imitative behavior
    panto
    an abbreviation of pantomime
    schtick, schtik, shtick, shtik
    (Yiddish) a contrived and often used bit of business that a performer uses to steal attention
    character, part, persona, role, theatrical role
    an actor's portrayal of someone in a play, film, etc...
    type of:
    activity
    any specific behavior
    performing arts
    arts or skills that require public performance
  3. noun
    the act of playing a musical instrument
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    bowing
    managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument
    piping
    playing a pipe or the bagpipes
    stopping
    the kind of playing that involves pressing the fingers on the strings of a stringed instrument to control the pitch
    transposition
    (music) playing in a different key from the key intended; moving the pitch of a piece of music upwards or downwards
    spiccato, spiccato bowing
    bowing in such a way that the bow bounces lightly off the strings
    double stopping
    stopping two strings and producing two notes at the same time
    type of:
    musical performance
    the act of performing music
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