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• player
  player

  noun

  a person or thing that plays.
• Player
  Player

  noun

  Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

player

¹ American  

[pley-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

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.

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Player ² American  

[pley-er] / ˈpleɪ ər /

noun

1. Gary, born 1935, South African golfer.

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player ¹ British  

/ 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

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Player ² British  

/ ˈpleɪə /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of player

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

Explanation

If you like to play anything at all, you’re a player. If you take part in a game or sport, you're a player. If you're a big flirt, you’re a player. Like the kazoo? You’re a kazoo player. Play on! Some players play cards or tennis, and others play roles in theater productions. You could also call a musician a player, like a piano player or a flute player. Vital or influential people (or groups) are sometimes described this way too: "The president called a meeting of all the biggest political players." And finally, there are inanimate players, like music or radio players, or an MP3 player.

Example Sentences

Golfers Gary Player and Bryson DeChambeau were with Trump for the signing of the order, which brings back the so-called Presidential Fitness Test award for schools.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

This season, Wembanyama became the first player in the history of the NBA to win Defensive Player of the Year by a unanimous vote.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

However, the Rams are hoping to develop him under last season's Most Valuable Player Matt Stafford, who turned 38 in February and has committed to one more year with the Rams.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

And Elliot Cadeau, the five-star point guard who had disappointed at North Carolina, was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after a game-high 19 points against UConn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

It was only after the president of Bennett College, Dr. Willa B. Player, went public about the students’ arrests and the federal government stepped in that the students were released.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

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