"wordplay" meaning in English

See wordplay in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: wordplays [plural]
Etymology: From word + play. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|word|play}} word + play Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} wordplay (countable and uncountable, plural wordplays)
  1. A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively. Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (Translations): каламбур (kalambur) [masculine] (Bulgarian), игра на думи (igra na dumi) (Bulgarian), ahuillahtolli (Classical Nahuatl), auillatolli (Classical Nahuatl), ordspil [neuter] (Danish), sanaleikki (Finnish), jeu de mots [masculine] (French), Wortspiel [neuter] (German), λογοπαίγνιο (logopaígnio) [neuter] (Greek), szójáték (Hungarian), 言葉遊び (kotoba asobi) (alt: ことばあそび) (Japanese), sēi (Khiamniungan Naga), gra słów [feminine] (Polish), trocadilho [masculine] (Portuguese), jogo de palavras [masculine] (Portuguese), juego de palabras [masculine] (Spanish), kelime oyunu (Turkish), chơi chữ (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-wordplay-en-noun-YqcAahR5 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Classical Nahuatl translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Khiamniungan Naga translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Vietnamese translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 71 13 16 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 83 7 10 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 70 14 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 70 14 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 73 14 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Classical Nahuatl translations: 83 8 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 80 10 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 74 13 13 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 79 8 13 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 72 13 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 68 10 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 66 13 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 75 11 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Khiamniungan Naga translations: 68 20 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 74 12 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 71 14 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 77 10 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 71 15 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Vietnamese translations: 71 14 14 Disambiguation of 'Translations': 77 11 12
  2. A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-wordplay-en-noun-oYC62HzC
  3. (crosswording) The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Crosswording
    Sense id: en-wordplay-en-noun-aWlQ0wmi
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: wordplayer, pun, repartee, word game

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "word",
        "3": "play"
      },
      "expansion": "word + play",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From word + play.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wordplays",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "wordplay (countable and uncountable, plural wordplays)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "wordplayer"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "pun"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "repartee"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "word game"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "71 13 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 7 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 14 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 14 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 14 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 8 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Classical Nahuatl translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 10 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 13 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 8 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "72 13 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 10 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "66 13 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 11 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 20 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Khiamniungan Naga translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 12 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 14 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 10 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 15 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 14 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively."
      ],
      "id": "en-wordplay-en-noun-YqcAahR5",
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "play on words",
          "play on words"
        ],
        [
          "collectively",
          "collectively"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "kalambur",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "каламбур"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "igra na dumi",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "игра на думи"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "nci",
          "lang": "Classical Nahuatl",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "ahuillahtolli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "nci",
          "lang": "Classical Nahuatl",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "auillatolli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ordspil"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "sanaleikki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "jeu de mots"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Wortspiel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "logopaígnio",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "λογοπαίγνιο"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "szójáték"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "alt": "ことばあそび",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "kotoba asobi",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "言葉遊び"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "kix",
          "lang": "Khiamniungan Naga",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "sēi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "gra słów"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "trocadilho"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "jogo de palavras"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "juego de palabras"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "kelime oyunu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "77 11 12",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "chơi chữ"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively."
      ],
      "id": "en-wordplay-en-noun-oYC62HzC",
      "links": [
        [
          "witty",
          "witty"
        ],
        [
          "verbal",
          "verbal"
        ],
        [
          "exchange",
          "exchange"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "definition"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Crosswording",
          "orig": "en:Crosswording",
          "parents": [
            "Games",
            "Hobbies",
            "Recreation",
            "Human activity",
            "Human behaviour",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 105:",
          "text": "delete the T from another part in the wordplay",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Henry Howarth, Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:",
          "text": "However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution."
      ],
      "id": "en-wordplay-en-noun-aWlQ0wmi",
      "links": [
        [
          "crosswording",
          "crosswording"
        ],
        [
          "cryptic",
          "cryptic"
        ],
        [
          "indicate",
          "indicate"
        ],
        [
          "define",
          "define"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "crosswording",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(crosswording) The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "wordplay"
  ],
  "word": "wordplay"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Classical Nahuatl translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Khiamniungan Naga translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
    "Translation table header lacks gloss"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "word",
        "3": "play"
      },
      "expansion": "word + play",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From word + play.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wordplays",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "wordplay (countable and uncountable, plural wordplays)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "wordplayer"
    },
    {
      "word": "pun"
    },
    {
      "word": "repartee"
    },
    {
      "word": "word game"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "play on words",
          "play on words"
        ],
        [
          "collectively",
          "collectively"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "witty",
          "witty"
        ],
        [
          "verbal",
          "verbal"
        ],
        [
          "exchange",
          "exchange"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "definition"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Crosswording"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 105:",
          "text": "delete the T from another part in the wordplay",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014, Henry Howarth, Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:",
          "text": "However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "crosswording",
          "crosswording"
        ],
        [
          "cryptic",
          "cryptic"
        ],
        [
          "indicate",
          "indicate"
        ],
        [
          "define",
          "define"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "crosswording",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(crosswording) The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "kalambur",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "каламбур"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "igra na dumi",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "игра на думи"
    },
    {
      "code": "nci",
      "lang": "Classical Nahuatl",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "ahuillahtolli"
    },
    {
      "code": "nci",
      "lang": "Classical Nahuatl",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "auillatolli"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ordspil"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "sanaleikki"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "jeu de mots"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Wortspiel"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "logopaígnio",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "λογοπαίγνιο"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "szójáték"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ことばあそび",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "kotoba asobi",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "言葉遊び"
    },
    {
      "code": "kix",
      "lang": "Khiamniungan Naga",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "sēi"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "gra słów"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "trocadilho"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "jogo de palavras"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "juego de palabras"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "kelime oyunu"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "chơi chữ"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "wordplay"
  ],
  "word": "wordplay"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wordplay meaning in English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (7c21d10 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.