play | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

405 entries found.

late 14c., "to play upon the flute," from flute (n.). Meaning "to make (architectural) flutes" is from 1570s. Related: Fluted; fluting.

bo-peep (n.)

1520s, the older name of the nursery play known in U.S. as peek-a-boo; see peep (n.1).

opalescence (n.)

"iridescence like that of an opal, a play of colors milky rather than brilliant," 1792; see opalescent + -ence. Perhaps via French opalescence.

lek (v.)

of certain animals, "to engage in courtship displays," 1871, probably from Swedish leka "to play," cognate of English dialectal verb lake (see lark (n.2)). Related: Lekking.

lusory (adj.)

"playful," 1650s, from Latin lusorius "belonging to a player," from lusor "player," from stem of ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Related: Lusorious (1610s).

lay (n.1)

"short song," mid-13c., from Old French lai "song, lyric," of unknown origin. Perhaps from Celtic (compare Irish laid "song, poem," Gaelic laoidh "poem, verse, play") because the earliest verses so called were Arthurian ballads, but OED finds this "out of the question" and prefers a theory which traces it to a Germanic source, such as Old High German leich "play, melody, song."

dice (v.)

late 14c., "to cut into cubes," from dice (n.). Meaning "to play at dice" is from early 15c. Related: Diced; dicing.

prop (n.2)

"object used in a play," 1898, from props (1841), shortened form of properties (which was in theatrical use from early 15c.); see property.

hazard (v.)

"put something at stake in a game of chance," 1520s, from French hasarder "to play at gambling, throw dice" (15c.), from hasard (see hazard (n.)). Related: Hazarded; hazarding.

prelude (n.)

"introductory performance; a preliminary to an action event or work," 1560s, from French prélude "notes sung or played to test the voice or instrument" (1530s), from Medieval Latin preludium "prelude, preliminary," from Latin praeludere "to play beforehand for practice, preface," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Purely musical sense of "movement or piece forming the introduction to a musical work" is attested in English by 1650s. Related: Preludial; prelusive; prelusory; preludious; prelusion.

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