playmate

American  

[pley-meyt] / ˈpleɪˌmeɪt /

noun

playmates plural

1. a companion, especially of a child, in play or recreation.

2. Informal. a social companion or lover; girlfriend or boyfriend.

   He showed up at the nightclub with his new playmate.

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playmate British  

/ ˈpleɪˌmeɪt /

noun

1. a friend or partner in play or recreation

   childhood playmates

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playmates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of playmate

First recorded in 1635–45; play + mate ¹

Explanation

A playmate is a child's pal or buddy. If you grew up in a rural area, far from your closest neighbors, your main playmates may have been your own brothers and sisters. Parents worry when their kids don't have many playmates — although some children simply prefer solitary activities to group games with friends. Babysitting one little girl might seem like an easy job, until six of her favorite playmates come over to play hide-and-seek indoors. Playmate was coined in the 1600s, from play and mate, "comrade or companion."

Example Sentences

Because when Caligiuri was growing up in Diamond Bar, the only playmate he could find was the door of his garage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

The clip highlighted an obvious imbalance between a male figure – disingenuously portrayed as a fellow playmate – in a position of power to a teenage girl.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2024

But in the meantime, mother chimps continue to be their offspring's primary playmate, tickling, chasing, playing 'airplane'.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

They ran into a playmate of their son.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2023

Otto shrieked when one of the boys roughhoused him, then mounted a counterattack by standing on his hands and falling into his new playmate.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer