Standard Lemma guide

playa

name · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈplaɪə/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪə
  • US: /ˈpleɪə/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪə
  • CMU ARPABET: P L AY1 AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A nickname for a large town or city in the Caribbean Netherlands, specifically:

The capital city of Aruba, Netherlands

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Aruba, Caribbean, Netherlands, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A nickname for a large town or city in the Caribbean Netherlands, specifically:

The capital city of Bonaire, Netherlands

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Caribbean, Netherlands, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A level area which habitually fills with water that evaporates entirely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A dude (an informal term of address or general term to describe a person, typically male).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: error-unknown-tag, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A player (someone who plays the field, or has prowess in gaining romantic and sexual relationships).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: error-unknown-tag, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Papiamentu playa (“beach, town”).

Borrowed from Spanish playa (“beach”). Doublet of plage.

From a non-rhotic pronunciation of player

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: Playa — nickname meaning "the town" or "the beach"
  • Papiamentu: Playa — nickname meaning "the town" or "the beach"
Real reading context

playa in complete knowledge articles