by-play

or by·play

[ bahy-pley ]

/ ˈbaɪˌpleɪ /

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noun

an action or speech carried on to the side while the main action proceeds, especially on the stage.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

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Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

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Origin of by-play

First recorded in 1805–15

Words nearby by-play

bypass capacitor, bypass engine, bypass ratio, bypast, by-path, by-play, by-plot, by-product, Byrd, Byrd Land, Byrd, Richard E.

How to use by-play in a sentence

Have there been discussions with FX regarding an Archer movie, and how do you think that would play out?
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Father Joel Román Salazar died in a car crash in 2013; his death was ruled an accident, but the suspicion of foul play persists.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He plays an aging punk rocker and I play the drummer from his old band.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When fathers hold and play with their children, oxytocin and prolactin kick in, priming them for bonding.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Ironically, the play deals with the ‘management’ of information by the Establishment.
Harry’s Daddy, and Diana’s ‘Murder’: Royal Rumors In a New Play|Tom Sykes|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I assure you, no matter how beautifully we play any piece, the minute Liszt plays it, you would scarcely recognize it!
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
But I hope at least to play to him a few times, and what is more important, to hear him play repeatedly.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
To fill up the time till Liszt came, our hostess made us play, one after the other, beginning with the latest arrival.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Again the sallow fingers began to play with the book-covers, passing from one to another, but always slowly and gently.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for by-play

by-play

noun

secondary action or talking carried on apart while the main action proceeds, esp in a play

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

by-play

or by·play

Origin of by-play

Words nearby by-play

Words related to by-play

How to use by-play in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for by-play