plaything
Definitions
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WordNet 3.6
- n plaything an artifact designed to be played with
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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- n Plaything A thing to play with; a toy; anything that serves to amuse. "A child knows his nurse, and by degrees the playthings of a little more advanced age."
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Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
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- n plaything A toy; anything that serves to amuse.
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Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
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- Plaything anything for playing with: a toy
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Quotations
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“We say that a girl with her doll anticipates the mother. It is more true, perhaps, that most mothers are still but children with playthings.” -
“Life is but a game and we are the playthings of the gods.” -
“The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.” -
“Our quaint metaphysical opinions, in an hour of anguish, are like playthings by the bedside of a child deathly sick.” -
“A book that furnishes no quotations is no book -- it is a plaything.”
Etymology
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
A.S. plegan, to play.
Usage
In literature:
He no longer regarded the wireless outfit as a mere plaything.
"The Young Wireless Operator--As a Fire Patrol" by Lewis E. Theiss
The truth is not in them, and their own or a man's honor is a plaything.
"The Daredevil" by Maria Thompson Daviess
Shall I bring you some playthings?
"Far Off" by Favell Lee Mortimer
Small sciences are the labors of our manhood; but the round universe is the plaything of the boy.
"Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol 3" by Various
It is still the plaything of newly rich vaudeville managers.
"The Art Of The Moving Picture" by Vachel Lindsay
Such a time as I had coralling a taxi to carry our large crate of playthings to the station.
"Where the Sabots Clatter Again" by Katherine Shortall
She placed the toy in his possession, and rose to bring some other plaything she remembered.
"Wild Western Scenes" by John Beauchamp Jones
Their childish plaything was a burglar's dark lantern.
"The Abominations of Modern Society" by Rev. T. De Witt Talmage
The God of the Mountains, as they call him, made her a flower to pluck, a beautiful plaything for her chosen mate.
"The Great Prince Shan" by E. Phillips Oppenheim
The man without self-reliance and an iron will is the plaything of chance, the puppet of his environment, the slave of circumstances.
"An Iron Will" by Orison Swett Marden
This will not be a case of experiment, of plaything, but of business.
"The Rules of the Game" by Stewart Edward White
Be kind enough to go to my cottage, and you will find there a plaything belonging to Markandeya, one of the hermit's children.
"Hindu Literature" by Epiphanius Wilson
On the anniversary of a boy's birth the relatives and friends bring presents of clothes, hats, ornaments, playthings, and red eggs.
"Across China on Foot" by Edwin Dingle
The next important plaything is the air.
"Study of Child Life" by Marion Foster Washburne
Any toy or plaything was allowed that did not point toward book-knowledge.
"Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States" by Work Projects Administration
Monsieur Rambaud always amazed her by his skill in turning a sheet of paper into all sorts of playthings.
"A Love Episode" by Emile Zola
This is the little girl's true plaything.
"Twice Told Tales" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The bright-colored ball which Flossie had taken from her pocket was a pretty plaything, and the baby crowed with delight.
"Dorothy Dainty's Gay Times" by Amy Brooks
That looked like a child's plaything, so little, under the big pine.
"The Brimming Cup" by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Shaver ate his porridge without a murmur, so happy was he over his new playthings.
"A Reversible Santa Claus" by Meredith Nicholson
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In poetry:
"Your power!" cried grim Valour, "why where is it,
child?
At those playthings of arrows I often have smiled;
They seem to be fitted the robins to slay—
No harm could they do to game bigger than they."
child?
At those playthings of arrows I often have smiled;
They seem to be fitted the robins to slay—
No harm could they do to game bigger than they."
"Songs" by Peter John Allan
Then Mother turns, laughing like a young fairy,
And Dinda smiles to see her look so kind,
Calls out again for playthings, playthings, playthings;
And now the shadows make an Umbrian Mary
Adoring, on the blind.
And Dinda smiles to see her look so kind,
Calls out again for playthings, playthings, playthings;
And now the shadows make an Umbrian Mary
Adoring, on the blind.
"The Patchwork Bonnet" by Robert Graves
Oh, waste of labour, to adorn
A plaything, which the wise must scorn!
Toil rather for the bee, whose fame
I envy, though I must not claim,
And leave the useless butterfly,
Unmark'd to live, unmourn'd to die.”
A plaything, which the wise must scorn!
Toil rather for the bee, whose fame
I envy, though I must not claim,
And leave the useless butterfly,
Unmark'd to live, unmourn'd to die.”
"The Butterfly And The Fairies" by Menella Bute Smedley
The lamp burns and I must play the green moth.
I have stolen her scented rope of flowers,
But the women caught me and built a little gaol
About my heart with your old playthings.
The lover to his lass: I have fallen before your door.
I have stolen her scented rope of flowers,
But the women caught me and built a little gaol
About my heart with your old playthings.
The lover to his lass: I have fallen before your door.
"Ghazal Of Mira - I" by Edward Powys Mathers
Cannon and sword were my playthings to bless,
(Dangerous toys for a babe to try,)
The stirring reveille my more caress,
The wild tattoo was my lullaby;
And well, methinks, as they years have run,
Have I wrought the work my sires begun.
(Dangerous toys for a babe to try,)
The stirring reveille my more caress,
The wild tattoo was my lullaby;
And well, methinks, as they years have run,
Have I wrought the work my sires begun.
"Uncle Sam's Soliloquy" by Madge Morris Wagner
Is Nature, then, a strife of jealous powers,
And man the plaything of unconscious fate?
Not so, my troubled heart! God reigns above
And man is greatest in his darkest hours:
Walking amid the cities desolate,
The Son of God appears in human love.
And man the plaything of unconscious fate?
Not so, my troubled heart! God reigns above
And man is greatest in his darkest hours:
Walking amid the cities desolate,
The Son of God appears in human love.
"Sicily, December 1908" by Henry Van Dyke
In news:
For four years the state of Arizona was the unfortunate plaything of former jeweler Jeff Groscost.
Most numbers are playthings to Ryan Kramer.
Office playthings come of age.
Office playthings come of age .
NEW YORK (AP) — A fundraiser at an upstate university has sued two senior athletic department officials, accusing them of using her as a " plaything " and trying to make her ply big donors with her sexuality.
A magical plaything and a playful magician.
(CBS News) "What do our playthings to when we turn the lights off".
The studio is tripling down on its strategy of making movies based on playthings.
Bruce Willis talked to David Letterman Wednesday about the hottest new plaything in his life -- and it ain't Twitter.
Most involve children falling inside or out of the inflated playthings, and many children get hurt when they collide with other bouncing kids.
Most injuries involve children falling inside or out of the inflated playthings, or colliding with other bouncing kids.
Museum honors playthings that encourage learning, creativity.
Trouble in Toyland study lists hazardous playthings.
None of these playthings are it.
"A lot of the injuries we see come from falling over a plaything that was left out," says Ogaitis.
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In science:
Coad, D. S. and Rosenberger, W. F. (1999). A comparison of the randomized playthe-winner rule and the triangular test for clinical trials with binary responses.
Sequential monitoring of response-adaptive randomized clinical trials
Richard Suchenwirth 2003-06-27 - As yet another attempt to teach programming to children, this tiny plaything (both in length of code and screen estate) does multiplication on the fly for the factors you enter into the two entries.
Software Architecture Overview
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