/play"euhr/ , n.
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 sound- or image-reproducing machine: a record player; a cassette player; a videodisc player.
7. a gambler.
8. Slang. a person engaged in illicit or illegal activity, esp. a pimp.
9. a mechanical device by which a musical instrument, as a player piano, is played automatically.
[ bef. 1000; ME pleyer, OE plegere. See PLAY, -ER 1 ]