Dictionary

foreplay en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfɔː(ɹ)pleɪ/

Etymology

From fore- + play.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The acts at the beginning of a (usually human) sexual encounter that serve to build up sexual arousal.
   • Root (Amy Acker): Hey, sweetie, you busy? / Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi): A little. Skip the verbal foreplay, Root. Why you calling? / Root: Can't a couple of gals take a little break from work to catch up? 2015 January 6, Denise Thé, “If-Then-Else”, in Chris Fisher, director, Person of Interest, season 4, episode 11:
   • Actually in quick undressing or actual lovemaking modern nylons usually get ruined, but if you keep your nails and fingers smooth taking them off gently makes good foreplay, along with mutual undressing generally. 1972, Alex Comfort, The Joy of Sex, Crown, pages 215–216:

Relateds

afterplay

Synonyms

foresex · contrectation

Translations (36)

it preliminari (foreplay) · pl gra wstępna (foreplay) · bg любовна игра (foreplay) · cmn 前戲 /前戏 (foreplay) · sk predohra (foreplay) · ca jocs previs (foreplay) · ru прелю́дия (foreplay) · eo antaŭludo (foreplay) · hu előjáték (foreplay) · nl voorspel (foreplay) · es preliminares (foreplay) · ta பாலுணர்வூட்டல் (foreplay) · es previa (foreplay) · tr ön sevişme (foreplay) · fi esileikki (foreplay) · cs předehra (foreplay) · ga réamhshúgradh (foreplay) · sh prȅdigra (foreplay) · ka პრელუდია (foreplay) · pt preliminares (foreplay) · fa عشقبازی (foreplay) · sh пре̏дигра (foreplay) · az ön sevişmə (foreplay) · mk предигра (foreplay) · et eelmäng (foreplay) · sv förspel (foreplay) · da forspil (foreplay) · lt erotinės glamonės (foreplay) · mr प्रणय (foreplay) · fr préliminaires (foreplay) · es juego previo / preliminar (foreplay) · de Vorspiel (foreplay) · is forleikur (foreplay) · ro preludiu (foreplay) · ja 前戯 (foreplay) · lt meilės žaismas (foreplay)

foreplay en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈfɔː(ɹ)pleɪ/

Etymology

From fore- + play.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To engage in foreplay.
   • While they were making love? It was true they weren't actually engaged in intercourse, but this certainly counted as foreplay. Iakovos stared down at her in complete disbelief. He'd never, ever had a woman fall asleep while he was foreplaying. 2011, Katie MacAlister, It's All Greek to Me:
   • I decided, while we were foreplaying, that I must get a supply, just in case. 2002, M. D. Bifford Debs, The Writer - Page 102:
   • We grabbed each other, roughly kissing and tossing covers and pillows about in our frantic lovemaking. We foreplayed and foreplayed, teased and teased again. 2005, Charles E. Schwarz, The Lonely Detective Gets Nasty and Other Murder Mysteries - Page 65:

Forms