wordplay

See also: word play

English

Etymology

From word +‎ play.

Noun

wordplay (countable and uncountable, plural wordplays)

1. A humorous play on words; such plays on words collectively.
2. A witty verbal exchange; such exchanges collectively.
3. (crosswording) The part of a cryptic clue that indicates but does not define the solution.

   Antonym: definition

   • 2012 June 13, Denise Sutherland, Solving Cryptic Crosswords For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 105:

     delete the T from another part in the wordplay

   • 2014, Henry Howarth, Learn How to Solve Cryptic Crosswords: A Course for Beginners, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 59:

     However, some clues include words that do not form part of the wordplay or the definition.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:joke

Related terms

• wordplayer

Translations

Translations

• Bulgarian: каламбур (bg) m (kalambur), игра на думи (igra na dumi)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Classical Nahuatl: ahuillahtolli, auillatolli
• Danish: ordspil n
• Finnish: sanaleikki (fi)
• French: jeu de mots (fr) m
• German: Wortspiel (de) n
• Greek: λογοπαίγνιο (el) n (logopaígnio)
• Hungarian: szójáték (hu)
• Japanese: 言葉遊び (ja) (ことばあそび, kotoba asobi)
• Khiamniungan Naga: sēi
• Polish: gra słów (pl) f
• Portuguese: trocadilho (pt) m, jogo de palavras m
• Spanish: juego de palabras (es) m
• Turkish: kelime oyunu (tr)
• Vietnamese: chơi chữ (vi)

See also

• pun
• repartee

See also

• word game