wordplay en · NOUN
Etymology
From word + play.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively.
Even this modest wordplay was an outlier: Sagers counted only three backronyms across the ’70s and ’80s.
2022 November 12, Matteo Wong, “How Did America End Up With the Z.O.M.B.I.E. Act?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2022:
- (countable, uncountable) A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively.
-
(countable, qualifier:crosswording, uncountable) The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution.
delete the T from another part in the wordplay
2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 105:However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition.
2014, Henry Howarth, Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordplays | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Relateds
wordplayer · repartee · pun · word game
Synonyms
Translations (22)
de Wortspiel (humorous play on words) · et kalambuur (humorous play on words) · bg игра на думи (humorous play on words) · kix sēi (humorous play on words) · tr kelime oyunu (humorous play on words) · pt jogo de palavras (humorous play on words) · el λογοπαίγνιο (humorous play on words) · nci ahuillahtolli (humorous play on words) · ja 言葉遊び (humorous play on words) · fi sanaleikki (humorous play on words) · is orðaleikur (humorous play on words) · nci auillatolli (humorous play on words) · et sõnamäng (humorous play on words) · es juego de palabras (humorous play on words) · hu szójáték (humorous play on words) · vi chơi chữ (humorous play on words) · pt trocadilho (humorous play on words) · da ordspil (humorous play on words) · pl gra słów (humorous play on words) · bg каламбур (humorous play on words) · fr jeu de mots (humorous play on words) · ko 언어유희 (humorous play on words)