play by ear

P p

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [pley bahy eer]
- /pleɪ baɪ ɪər/
- /pleɪ baɪ ɪə(r)/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pley bahy eer]
- /pleɪ baɪ ɪər/

Definitions of play by ear words

noun play by ear a dramatic composition or piece; drama. 1
noun play by ear a dramatic performance, as on the stage. 1
noun play by ear exercise or activity for amusement or recreation. 1
noun play by ear fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness: I said it merely in play. 1
noun play by ear a pun. 1
noun play by ear the playing, action, or conduct of a game: The pitcher was replaced in the fourth inning of play. 1

See all 91 definitions of play by ear

Information block about the term

Origin of play by ear

First appearance:

before 900

One of the 4% oldest English words

before 900; (noun) Middle English pleye, Old English plega; (v.) Middle English pleyen, Old English pleg(i)an (cognate with Middle Dutch pleien to leap for joy, dance, rejoice, be glad)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Play by ear

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Play by ear

play by ear popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

play by ear usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for play by ear

verb play by ear

improv — improvisation.
make up — the style or manner in which something is made; form; build.
extemporise — (intransitive) To do something, particularly to perform or speak, without prior planning or thought; to act in an impromptu manner; to improvise.
extemporize — Compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation; improvise.

All 7 Synonyms of play by ear