by-play

or by·play

[ bahy-pley ]

noun
  1. an action or speech carried on to the side while the main action proceeds, especially on the stage.

Origin of by-play

1
First recorded in 1805–15

Words Nearby by-play

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use by-play in a sentence

  • Her acting is said to have been characterised by great judgment, while her by-play was remarkably effective.

    Queens of the French Stage | H. Noel Williams
  • The excellence of Adrienne's delivery was equalled, if not surpassed, by her really wonderful by-play.

    Queens of the French Stage | H. Noel Williams
  • This little by-play took place when all the lamps of the salon were fully lighted.

    Mysterious Psychic Forces | Camille Flammarion
  • Smilingly, and evidently untroubled by the recent by-play between the cowboy and Mary, she replied in the negative.

British Dictionary definitions for by-play

by-play

noun
  1. secondary action or talking carried on apart while the main action proceeds, esp in a play

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012