1. One that plays, especially:
   1. One who participates in a game or sport.
   2. A gambler.
   3. One who performs in theatrical roles.
   4. One who plays a musical instrument.
2. An active participant: a major player in world affairs.
3. The mechanism actuating a player piano.
4. A machine that reproduces recorded audio or audio-visual material.
5. Slang. One who actively seeks out sexual partners and carries on a number of sexual affairs at the same time.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.