"play at" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays at",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing at",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played at",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played at",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play at (third-person singular simple present plays at, present participle playing at, simple past and past participle played at)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The band are playing at the Odeon tonight.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see play, at."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_at-en-verb-orTZ2Nyc",
      "links": [
        [
          "play",
          "play#English"
        ],
        [
          "at",
          "at#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "So we played at being pirates for a while.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To pretend to be a different person while playing a game."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_at-en-verb-JLmIDfyf",
      "links": [
        [
          "pretend",
          "pretend"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 7 72 15 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 11 57 18 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"at\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "In my opinion, John only plays at being an author. He hasn't sold more than two magazine articles in as many months.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Andrew O'Hagan, The Illuminations, page 94",
          "text": "'You don't like him, Capatin, do you?' 'No, I don't. He plays at being loyal'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something in a manner that lacks seriousness, commitment, or professionalism."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_at-en-verb-WnfvtfKM",
      "links": [
        [
          "serious",
          "serious"
        ],
        [
          "commitment",
          "commitment"
        ],
        [
          "professionalism",
          "professionalism"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Hey! Stop throwing stones at the swans! What on earth do you think you're playing at?",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to suggest that someone is doing something very wrong, or incorrectly, usually with the possibility of causing damage or harm."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_at-en-verb-ItFuW5Cs",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(especially in rhetorical questions) Used to suggest that someone is doing something very wrong, or incorrectly, usually with the possibility of causing damage or harm."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "in rhetorical questions"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "especially"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To play (a game)."
      ],
      "id": "en-play_at-en-verb-nXTPq5ji",
      "links": [
        [
          "play",
          "play"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) To play (a game)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play at"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"at\"",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "plays at",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "playing at",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played at",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "played at",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "play at (third-person singular simple present plays at, present participle playing at, simple past and past participle played at)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The band are playing at the Odeon tonight.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see play, at."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "play",
          "play#English"
        ],
        [
          "at",
          "at#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "So we played at being pirates for a while.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To pretend to be a different person while playing a game."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pretend",
          "pretend"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "In my opinion, John only plays at being an author. He hasn't sold more than two magazine articles in as many months.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Andrew O'Hagan, The Illuminations, page 94",
          "text": "'You don't like him, Capatin, do you?' 'No, I don't. He plays at being loyal'",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something in a manner that lacks seriousness, commitment, or professionalism."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "serious",
          "serious"
        ],
        [
          "commitment",
          "commitment"
        ],
        [
          "professionalism",
          "professionalism"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Hey! Stop throwing stones at the swans! What on earth do you think you're playing at?",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to suggest that someone is doing something very wrong, or incorrectly, usually with the possibility of causing damage or harm."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(especially in rhetorical questions) Used to suggest that someone is doing something very wrong, or incorrectly, usually with the possibility of causing damage or harm."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "in rhetorical questions"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "especially"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English archaic terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To play (a game)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "play",
          "play"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) To play (a game)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "play at"
}