You’re listening to Lingo Phoenix’s word of the day for September 16.

Guacamole Day

Today’s word is plaything, spelled p-l-a-y-t-h-i-n-g.

plaything /ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ/ noun [countable]

formal a toy

The best playthings teach kids that anything can become a source of adventure and inquiry.

The trouble is, they treat their pets and playthings very badly.

VCRs were once the expensive, high-tech playthings of the rich.

Normal people went to space, not billionaires treating the cosmos as their personal plaything.

— Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, 9 July 2021

someone that you use for your own amusement or advantage, without caring about them

men who treat women as playthings

We mustn't let the environment become the plaything of oil companies.

Dogecoin has become a particular plaything of Elon Musk, who seems to enjoy driving its value up and down at will through tweets and public statements.

— Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2021

With your word of the day, I’m Mohammad Golpayegani.

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Thanks for listening, stay safe, and we’ll see you back here next Saturday with a new word.