play
noun
a dramatic composition or piece; drama.
self-playing
-
a word derived from
play.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1897, American inventor Edwin S. Votey invented the “Pianola,” a self-playing piano whose perforated paper rolls functioned much like computer punch cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026
As he says this, you notice there are two pianos in the room: a silent baby grand and a self-playing one, the keys moving on their own as if by the pressure of invisible fingertips.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2022
A self-playing piano lets him fake his way into a job as a restaurant pianist.
From The Guardian ● May 5, 2020
For those too young to remember the 1890s, the self-playing instrument spun out its tunes on an upright piano via precisely placed punch holes on rolls of paper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2018
She already played the piano very well, and she scorned Jadwin's self-playing "attachment."
From The Pit by Frank Norris
