playmate

noun

play·​mate ˈplā-ˌmāt How to pronounce playmate (audio)
: a companion in play

Examples of playmate in a Sentence

She was my playmate and best friend. He wasn't allowed to join his playmates outside.
Recent Examples on the Web Running and skipping and playing soccer, some would intermittently break away from their playmates to check in with their parents, who sat in large, convivial groups at tables near mine, before running back to their games. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The film, which introduced the world to Chucky the killer doll with a plot that's as delightfully asinine as its antagonist, stars Catherine Hicks as a desperate mother trying to convince a detective (Chris Sarandon) that her young son (Alex Vincent) was framed for murder by his inanimate playmate. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Nov. 2023 Previously, health care professionals were advised to ask a series of questions to decide whether a child was at risk for lead poisoning and ought to be tested, including whether the house the child lived in was built before 1978 and whether the child had a sibling or playmate with lead poisoning. Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2024 Kate Beckinsale and friend as Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall Kate Beckinsale brought along her playmate for a scary-good tribute to Anna Nicole Smith and her billionaire beau J. Howard Marshall for Casamigos' annual Halloween bash. EW.com, 28 Oct. 2023 Will an older dog think of a new friend as a playmate or an intrusion? Vanessa Infanzon, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2024 Wilkinson appeared on the E! reality series The Girls Next Door as a playmate between 2005 and 2009, before getting married to now ex-husband and former NFL player Hank Baskett and heading up her own spinoff, Kendra on Top. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Jan. 2024 After Rosalynn was brought into the world by Lillian Carter, Jimmy Carter’s mother, who also helped deliver her siblings, Rosalynn became playmates with Jimmy’s younger sister, Ruth (later Ruth Carter Stapleton, the evangelist). Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023 The shower head sprayer, which is continuously fed by the sub, is designed for small hands to grip, and the colorful cups, faces, and gears will be welcome playmates any time your kiddo needs to wash off a day of being a kid. Melissa Willets, Parents, 11 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'playmate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of playmate was circa 1560

Dictionary Entries Near playmate

Cite this Entry

“Playmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playmate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

playmate

noun
play·​mate ˈplā-ˌmāt How to pronounce playmate (audio)
: a companion in play

More from Merriam-Webster on playmate

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