noun
playa
PLEYE-uh
noun
1
A flat area of land that periodically floods and then dries out completely, leaving a hard, cracked surface.
"The festival is held on a dry desert playa each summer."
2
Slang for a man who has multiple romantic or sexual partners and is skilled at attracting them.
"He's got a reputation as a playa in his social circle."
How to Use Playa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dry desert basin, or (informal slang) someone who dates around a lot.
When to use it
The "player" sense is informal slang and often written this way to mimic pronunciation.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
playas plural, playas plural
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The festival is held on a dry desert _____ each summer.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish playa, "beach." The desert-basin sense comes from the same word used regionally in Spanish for a dry lakebed.