plaything

UK: /ˈpleɪθɪŋ/ US: /ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ/ ,(plā′thing′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

play•thing /ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ/   n. [countable]

1. a thing to play with;
   toy.
2. one who is used selfishly by another:
   She had become the rich man's plaything.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

play•thing  (plā′thing′), n. 

1. a thing to play with;
   toy.
2. a person who is used capriciously and selfishly by another.

• play + thing¹ 1665–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

plaything / ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ/ noun

1. a toy
2. a person regarded or treated as a toy