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horseplay

/ˌhɔrsˈpleɪ/
/ˈhɔspleɪ/
IPA guide

Horseplay is a rough, rowdy kind of fun. If you and your friends are jokingly pushing each other into a swimming pool, it's horseplay.

Horseplay is vaguely dangerous — someone could get hurt, and that's why you might hear a teacher, babysitter, or parent yelling, "Hey, kids! Knock off the horseplay!" The origin of this word is a bit vague, although it's known to date from the 1500s, probably from the sense of a horse as a heavy, strong, rough animal.

Definitions of horseplay
  1. noun
    rowdy or boisterous play
    see moresee less
    type of:
    caper, frolic, gambol, play, romp
    light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement
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