What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Play vs Kick - What's the difference?

play | kick |

As nouns the difference between play and kick

is that play is activity for amusement only, especially among the young while kick is kick.

As a verb play

is (lb) to act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

play

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (lb) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
  • :
  • *2001 , Annabelle Sabloff, Reordering the Natural World , Univ. of Toronto Press, p.83:
  • *:A youngstergo on vacation, play in the same way that he did with his friends, and so on.
  • *2003 , Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont et al. (eds.), Joining Society: Social Interaction and Learning in Adolescence and Youth , Cambridge Univ. Press, p.52:
  • *:We had to play for an hour, so that meant that we didn't have time to play and joke around.
  • (lb) To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
  • :
  • #(lb) To compete against, in a game.
  • #*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 12, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , passage=England will not be catapulted among the favourites for Euro 2012 as a result of this win, but no victory against Spain is earned easily and it is right they take great heart from their efforts as they now prepare to play Sweden at Wembley on Tuesday.}}
  • (label) To take part in amorous activity; to make love, fornicate; to have sex.
  • *1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , II.iv:
  • *:Her proper face / I not descerned in that darkesome shade, / But weend it was my loue, with whom he playd .
  • (lb) To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance.
  • :
  • *{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
  • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.}}
  • To produce music or theatre.
  • # To produce music.
  • #*2007 , Dan Erlewine, Guitar Player Repair Guide (ISBN 0879309210), page 220:
  • #*:If your guitar plays well on fretted strings but annoys you on the open ones, the nut's probably worn out.
  • # To produce music using a musical instrument.
  • #:
  • # To produce music (or a specified song or musical style) using (a specified musical instrument).
  • #:
  • # To use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording.
  • #:
  • # to be shown.
  • #:
  • # To perform in or at; to give performances in or at.
  • #*2008 , My Life: From Normandy to Hockeytown (ISBN 0966412087), p.30:
  • #*:I got a hold of Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong's agent and I explained to him on the phone that, "I know you're playing' London on Wednesday night. Why don't you come and ' play the Arena in Windsor on Saturday night?"
  • #(lb) To act or perform (a play).
  • #:
  • (lb) To behave in a particular way.
  • #(lb) Contrary to fact, to give an appearance of being.
  • #*(rfdate) Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
  • #*:Thou canst play the rational if thou wilt.
  • #*1985 , Sharon S. Brehm, Intimate Relationships :
  • #*:Playing hard to get is not the same as slamming the door in someone's face.
  • #*1996 , Michael P. Malone, James J Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest :
  • #*:Now, surveying his final link, he had the nice advantage of being able to play coy with established port cities that desperately wanted his proven railroad.
  • #*2003 , John U. Ogbu, Black American Students in an Affluent Suburb: A Study of Academic Disengagement , p.194:
  • #*:Instead, they played dumb, remained silent, and did their classwork.
  • #(lb) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless.
  • #*(rfdate) Sir (1628–1699):
  • #*:Men are apt to play with their healths.
  • #(lb) To act; to behave; to practice deception.
  • #*(rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616):
  • #*:His mother played false with a smith.
  • #(lb) To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute.
  • #:
  • #*(rfdate) (John Milton) (1608-1674):
  • #*:Nature here / Wantoned as in her prime, and played at will / Her virgin fancies.
  • #*
  • #*:The Bat—they called him the Bat.. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
  • (lb) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate.
  • :
  • *(rfdate) (1671-1743):
  • *:The heart beats, the blood circulates, the lungs play .
  • *
  • *:The colonel and his sponsor made a queer contrast: Greystone [the sponsor] long and stringy, with a face that seemed as if a cold wind was eternally playing on it.
  • (lb) To move gaily; to disport.
  • *(rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616):
  • *:even as the waving sedges play with wind
  • *(rfdate) (Joseph Addison) (1672-1719):
  • *:The setting sun / Plays on their shining arms and burnished helmets.
  • *(rfdate) (Alexander Pope) (1688-1744):
  • *:All fame is foreign but of true desert, / Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart.
  • (lb) To put in action or motion.
  • :
  • (lb) To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it.
  • Noun

  • Activity for amusement only, especially among the young.
  • * Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
  • She was fond of all boys' plays , and greatly preferred cricket
  • (uncountable) Similar activity, in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
  • (uncountable, ethology) "Repeated, incompletely functional behavior differing from more serious versions ..., and initiated voluntarily when ... in a low-stress setting."
  • The conduct, or course of a game.
  • (countable) An individual's performance in a sport or game.
  • (countable) (turn-based games ) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play.
  • (countable) A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
  • (countable) A theatrical performance featuring actors.
  • We saw a two-act play in the theatre.
  • (countable) A major move by a business.
  • (countable) A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources.
  • (uncountable) The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely.
  • No wonder the fanbelt is slipping: there’s too much play in it.
    Too much play in a steering wheel may be dangerous.
  • (uncountable, informal) Sexual role-playing.
  • * 1996 , Sabrina P Ramet, Gender reversals and gender cultures
  • The rarity of male domination in fantasy play is readily explained.
  • * 1996 , "toptigger", (on Internet newsgroup alt.personals.spanking.punishment )
  • Palm Springs M seeks sane F 4 safe bdsm play
  • * 2013 , Rachel Kramer Bussel, Best Bondage Erotica 2014
  • There were none of the usual restrictions on public nudity or sexual interaction in the club environment. Still, the night was young, and as he'd made his way to the bar to order Mistress Ramona a gin and tonic, he'd seen little in the way of play .
  • * 2014 , Jiri T. Servant, Facts About Bondage - Bondage Guide For Beginners
  • This type of play allows some people to relax and enjoy being given pleasure without having to think about giving pleasure back at the same time.
  • (countable) A button that, when pressed, causes media to be played.
  • Synonyms

    * (literary composition) drama * See also

    Derived terms

    * airplay * all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy * at play * bloodplay * child's play * close of play * double play * downplay * fair play * fireplay * force play * foreplay * foul play * grandstand play * learn to play * long play * nativity play * mystery play * outdoor play * passion play * pissplay * playact/play-act * play about * play along * play around * play back * play ball * playbill * playboy * play by ear * play by play, play-by-play * play date, playdate * play dead * play doctor * playdough * play down * play dumb * player * play fair * play fast and loose * play fight/play-fight/playfight * play for love * playful * play games * playground * play hardball * play hard to get * play hob with * play hooky * play house * playhouse * play in * play it by ear * play it safe * play lunch * playmate * play money * playoff/play-off/play off * play Old Harry * play on * play one against another * play one's cards right * play on words * playout/play out * playpen * play possum * playroom * playschool * play second fiddle * play silly buggers * play someone like a fiddle * playsuit * play the angles * play the devil * play the field * play the fool * play the hand one is dealt * play the ponies * play the race card * play the same tape * play the white man * plaything * playtime * play to the gallery * play to win * play truant * play up * play upon * playwear * play with * play with fire * play with oneself * playwright * plug-and-play * power play * quad play * radio play * rain stopped play * roleplay/role play/role-play * screen play/screenplay * shadow play * squeeze play * triple play * turnabout is fair play * two can play that game * war play * when the cat's away the mice will play * word play/wordplay

    See also

    (wikipedia play) * outdoor

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    kick

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . See (l).

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To strike or hit with the foot or other extremity of the leg.
  • Did you kick your brother?
  • * 1877 , , Chapter 1: My Early Home,
  • Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop.
  • * 1895 , , Chapter XII: Friends and Foes,
  • I was cuffed by the women and kicked by the men because I would not swallow it.
  • * 1905 , , Chapter 6,
  • A punt is made by letting the ball drop from the hands and kicking it just before it touches the ground.
  • * 1919 , , The Teacher: concerning Kate Swift,
  • Will Henderson, who had on a light overcoat and no overshoes, kicked the heel of his left foot with the toe of the right.
  • To make a sharp jerking movement of the leg, as to strike something.
  • He enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching the kickline kick .
  • * 1904 , , Chapter II: Rope Jumping, and What Followed,
  • "If you did that, I'd kick'," answered Freddie, and began to ' kick real hard into the air.
  • To direct to a particular place by a blow with the foot or leg.
  • Kick the ball into the goal.
  • * 1905 , , Chapter 7,
  • Sometimes he can kick' the ball forward along the ground until it is ' kicked in goal, where he can fall on it for a touchdown.
  • To eject summarily.
  • * 1936 October,
  • "He's been mad at me ever since I fired him off'n my payroll. After I kicked him off'n my ranch he run for sheriff, and the night of the election everybody was so drunk they voted for him by mistake, or for a joke, or somethin', and since he's been in office he's been lettin' the sheepmen steal me right out of house and home."
  • * 1976 February 3, ,
  • They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at.
  • (Internet) To remove a participant from an online activity.
  • He was kicked by ChanServ for flooding.
  • (slang) To overcome (a bothersome or difficult issue or obstacle); to free onself of (a problem).
  • By taking that medication, he managed to get his triggered phobia of heights kicked .
    I still smoke, but they keep telling me to kick the habit.
  • To move or push suddenly and violently.
  • He was kicked sideways by the force of the blast.
  • * 2011 , Tom Andry, Bob Moore: No Hero ,
  • The back of the car kicked out violently, forcing me to steer into the slide and accelerate in order to maintain control.
  • (of a firearm) To recoil; to push by recoiling.
  • * 2003 , Jennifer C. D. Groomes, The Falcon Project , page 174,
  • Lying on the ground, when fired, it kicked me back a foot. There was no way a person my size was going to be able to do an effective job with this gun.
  • * 2006 , Daniel D. Scherschel, Maple Grove , page 81,
  • I asked my sister Jeanette if she wanted to shoot the 12 ga. shotgun. She replied, "does it kick "?
    Descendants
    * German: (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A hit or strike with the leg or foot or knee.
  • A kick to the knee.
  • * 1890 , , Chapter VII: A Raid on the Stable-Beer Dives,
  • A kick of his boot-heel sent the door flying into the room.
  • * 2011 , Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15195384.stm]
  • Elsad Zverotic gave Montenegro hope with a goal with the last kick of the first half - and when Rooney was deservedly shown red by referee Wolfgang Stark, England were placed under pressure they could not survive.
  • The action of swinging a foot or leg.
  • The ballerina did a high kick and a leap.
  • (colloquial) Something that tickles the fancy; something fun or amusing.
  • I finally saw the show. What a kick !
    I think I sprained something on my latest exercise kick .
  • (Internet) The removal of a person from an online activity.
  • A button (of a joypad, joystick or similar device) whose only or main current function is that when it is pressed causes a video game character to kick.
  • (figuratively) Any bucking motion of an object that lacks legs or feet.
  • The car had a nasty kick the whole way.
    The pool ball took a wild kick , up off the table.
  • (uncountable, and, countable) piquancy
  • * 2002 , Ellen and Michael Albertson, Temptations , , ISBN 0743229800, page 124 [http://books.google.com/books?id=cITFVpz2ri8C&pg=PA124&dq=kick]:
  • Add a little cascabel pepper to ordinary tomato sauce to give it a kick .
  • * 2003 , Sheree Bykofsky and Megan Buckley, Sexy City Cocktails , , ISBN 1580629172, page 129 [http://books.google.com/books?id=GBO9qF3uXYUC&pg=PA129&dq=kick]:
  • For extra kick , hollow out a lime, float it on top of the drink, and fill it with tequila.
  • * 2007 August 27, , volume 83, Issues 22-28
  • The first time I saw "Deep Water," the trace of mystery in the Crowhurst affair gave the movie a kick of excitement.
  • A stimulation provided by an intoxicating substance.
  • (soccer) A pass played by kicking with the foot.
  • (soccer) The distance traveled by kicking the ball.
  • a long kick up the field.
  • a recoil of a gun.
  • (informal) pocket
  • An increase in speed in the final part of a running race.
  • (chess) To attack (a piece) in order to force it to move.
  • Descendants
    * German: (l)

    Derived terms

    * drop kick * for kicks * free kick * get a kick out of * on a kick * kick about * kick against the pricks * kick around * kick ass, kick butt * kick at the can * kick back * kickban (Internet) * kickboxing * kick the bucket * kickflip * kick in * kick in the pants * kick in the teeth * kick it * kick like a mule * kick off (pos v) * kick-off (pos n) * kick one's heels * kick out * kick over * kick over the traces * kick someone when they are down * kickstand * kick start * kick the can, kick-the-can * kick the can down the road * kick the habit * kick up * kick up the arse/kick up the ass/kick up the backside/kick up the butt * kick up one's heels * kick upstairs * kick wheel

    Etymology 2

    Shortening of (kick the bucket)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To die.
  • * '>citation
  • ----