child's play

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child's play

(chīldz)

1. Something very easy to do.

2. A trivial matter.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

child's play

informal something that is easy to do

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

child's′ play`

something very easily done.

[1350–1400]

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Noun	1.	child's play - any undertaking that is easy to do; "marketing this product will be no picnic" cinch, duck soup, piece of cake, pushover, picnic, breeze, walkover, snap doddle - an easy task project, task, undertaking, labor - any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he prepared for great undertakings"
	2.	child's play - activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child" play diversion, recreation - an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" house - play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults; "the children were playing house" doctor - children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office; "the children explored each other's bodies by playing the game of doctor" fireman - play in which children pretend to put out a fire

child's play

noun

An easily accomplished task:

cinch, pushover, snap, walkaway, walkover.

Informal: breeze.

Slang: duck soup.

Translations

child's play

[ˈtʃaɪldzˌpleɪ] n it's child's play → è un gioco da ragazzi, è una cosa da nulla

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

child

(tʃaild) – plural children (ˈtʃildrən) – noun

1. a young human being of either sex.

2. a son or daughter. Her youngest child is five years old.

ˈchildhood noun

the state or time of being a child. Her childhood was a time of happiness.

ˈchildish adjective

like a child; silly. a childish remark.

ˈchildishly adverb

ˈchildishness noun

ˈchildless adjective

having no children. the childless couple.

ˈchildlike adjective

innocent; like a child. childlike faith; trustful and childlike.

ˈchildbirth noun

the act of giving birth to a child. She died in childbirth.

child's play

something very easy. Climbing that hill will be child's play.

play

(plei) verb

1. to amuse oneself. The child is playing in the garden; He is playing with his toys; The little girl wants to play with her friends.

2. to take part in (games etc). He plays football; He is playing in goal; Here's a pack of cards – who wants to play (with me)?; I'm playing golf with him this evening.

3. to act in a play etc; to act (a character). She's playing Lady Macbeth; The company is playing in London this week.

4. (of a play etc) to be performed. `Oklahoma' is playing at the local theatre.

5. to (be able to) perform on (a musical instrument). She plays the piano; Who was playing the piano this morning?; He plays (the oboe) in an orchestra.

6. (usually with on) to carry out or do (a trick). He played a trick on me.

7. (usually with at) to compete against (someone) in a game etc. I'll play you at tennis.

8. (of light) to pass with a flickering movement. The firelight played across the ceiling.

9. to direct (over or towards something). The firemen played their hoses over the burning house.

10. to put down or produce (a playing-card) as part of a card game. He played the seven of hearts.

noun

1. recreation; amusement. A person must have time for both work and play.

2. an acted story; a drama. Shakespeare wrote many great plays.

3. the playing of a game. At the start of today's play, England was leading India by fifteen runs.

4. freedom of movement (eg in part of a machine).

ˈplayer noun

ˈplayable adjective

(negative unplayable) (of a ground, pitch etc) not good enough for a game to be played on it. Because of the rain the referee decided the ground was not playable.

ˈplayful adjective

1. happy; full of the desire to play. a playful kitten.

2. joking; not serious. a playful remark.

ˈplayfully adverb

ˈplayfulness noun

ˈplayboy noun

a rich man who spends his time and money on pleasure.

ˈplayground noun

an area in which children can play in a park, outside a school etc.

ˈplaying-card noun

one of a pack of cards used in card games.

ˈplaying-field noun

a field which is specially prepared and used for sport.

ˈplaymate noun

a childhood friend.

ˈplaypen noun

a small wooden structure with bars on every side in which a small child can play safely.

ˈplayschool noun

an informal nursery school.

ˈplaything noun

a toy.

ˈplaytime noun

a set time for children to play (at school etc). The children go outside at playtime.

ˈplaywright noun

a person who writes plays. He is a famous playwright.

at play

playing. children at play.

bring/come into play

to (cause to) be used or exercised. The job allowed him to bring all his talents into play.

child's play

something that is very easy. Of course you can do it – it's child's play!

in play, out of play

(of a ball) according to the rules of the game, (not) in a position where it can be hit, kicked etc.

play at

1. to pretend to be etc. The children were playing at cowboys and Indians.

2. used when asking angrily what someone is doing. What does he think he's playing at (=doing)?

play back to play (music, speech etc) on a record or tape after it has just been recorded (noun ˈplay-back)

play down

to try to make (something) appear less important. He played down the fact that he had failed the exam.

play fair

to act honestly and fairly.

play for time

to delay an action, decision etc in the hope that conditions will improve.

play havoc with

to cause a lot of damage to. The storm played havoc with the farmer's crops.

play into someone's hands

to do exactly what an opponent or enemy wants one to do.

play off (in games) to play a final deciding game after a draw (noun ˈplay-off)

play off against

to set (one person) against (another) in order to gain an advantage. He played his father off against his mother to get more pocket money.

play on

to make use of (someone's feelings, fears etc). He played on my sympathy until I lent him $10.

play a/no part in

(not) to be one of the people who are doing (something). He played no part in the robbery.

play safe

to take no risks.

play the game

to act fairly and honestly.

play up

to be troublesome or disobedient. The children are playing up today.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

'Do that likewise,' said the giant, 'if you have strength.' 'Is that all?' said the tailor, 'that is child's play with us!' and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, and pressed it until the liquid ran out of it.

'Willingly,' said the tailor, 'that is child's play!' He did not take the huntsmen with him into the forest, and they were well pleased that he did not, for the wild boar had several times received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to lie in wait for him.

View in context

These submerged side blows are so often received in the fishery, that they are accounted mere child's play. Some one strips off a frock, and the hole is stopped.

View in context

During the day I was pitted against first men and then beasts, but as I was armed with a long-sword and always outclassed my adversary in agility and generally in strength as well, it proved but child's play to me.

View in context

"Come, cheer up, old man; there's no use in losing your grip and going back to this child's play merely because this big sunspot is drifting across your shiny new disk.

View in context

My Child's Play credentials aren't very impressive.

Film review: Child's Play ***

Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill) and Gabriel Bateman as Andy CHILD'S PLAY (15) HH HHH REBOOTING a cult 1980s slasher horror for modern audiences is anything but child's play for Norwegian director Lars Klevberg.

Chucky (voiced by Mark Hamill) and Gabriel [...]

In line with the release of the slasher movie "Child's Play" now in theaters, SM Cinema has the Child's Play Scare Experience at the SM Megamall Cinema Lobby from June 15 to 23.

Child's Play' scare experience

Laura Leigh Davies, 28, set up Child's Play Private Nursery in Ferryhill five years ago with just one other member of staff and four children.

Award-winning nursery expansion is child's play

The Fun City Play Index Calculator will be available on funcity.ae to empower parents to compute their child's play behaviour.

Passive play activities hinder children's growth

What else could the teacher have done so that the child's play would not have been interrupted?

Cautionary tales on interrupting children's play: a study from Sweden

However, not all parents hold such positive conceptions of child's play, nor do they necessarily know to be actively involved in play with their children.