Sentence:  I mean something more like Freud 's concept of the utility of `` play '' to a small child : he plays `` <WSD>house</WSD> '' or `` doctor '' or `` fireman '' as a way of mastering slightly frightening experiences , reliving them imaginatively until they are under control . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults