Adjacent Words

Ply definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PLY, v.t. [Gr. to fold; L. plico.]
1. To lay on, to put to or on with force and repetition; to apply to closely, with continuation of efforts or urgency.
And plies him with redoubled strokes.
The hero from afar
Plies him with darts and stones.
We retain the precise sense in the phrase to lay on, to put it on him.
2. To employ with diligence; to apply closely and steadily; to keep busy.
Her gentle wit she plies.
The wearied Trojans ply their shattered oars.
3. To practice or perform with diligence.
Their bloody task, unweari'd, still they ply.
4. To urge; to solicit with pressing or persevering importunity.
He plies the duke at morning and at night.
5. To urge; to press; to strain; to force.
PLY, v.i. To bend; to yield.
The willow plied and gave way to the gust.
1. To work steadily.
He was forced to ply in the streets.
2. To go in haste.
Thither he plies undaunted.
3. To busy one's self; to be steadily employed.
4. To endeavor to make way against the wind.
PLY, n. A fold; a plait.
1. Bent; turn; direction; bias.
The late learners cannot so well take the ply.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination; "three-ply cord"; "four- ply yarn"
2: (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood v
1: give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" [syn: provide, supply, ply, cater]
2: apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade"
3: travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" [syn: ply, run]
4: join together as by twisting, weaving, or molding; "ply fabric"
5: wield vigorously; "ply an axe"
6: use diligently; "ply your wits!"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (plied; plying) Etymology: Middle English plien, short for applien to apply Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to use or wield diligently <busily plying his pen> b. to practice or perform diligently <ply a trade> 2. to keep furnishing or supplying something to <plied us with liquor> 3. a. to make a practice of rowing or sailing over or on <the boat plies the river> b. to go or travel regularly over, on, or through <jets plying the skies> intransitive verb 1. to apply oneself steadily 2. to go or travel regularly II. noun (plural plies) Etymology: ³ply Date: 1532 1. a. one of several layers (as of cloth) usually sewn or laminated together b. one of the strands in a yarn c. one of the veneer sheets forming plywood d. a layer of a paper or cardboard 2. inclination, bias III. transitive verb (plied; plying) Etymology: Middle English plien to fold, from Anglo-French plier, pleier, from Latin plicare; akin to Old High German flehtan to braid, Latin plectere, Greek plekein Date: circa 1909 to twist together <ply two single yarns>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. (pl. -ies) 1 a thickness or layer of certain materials, esp. wood or cloth (three-ply). 2 a strand of yarn or rope etc. Etymology: ME f. F pli f. plier, pleier f. L plicare fold 2. v. (-ies, -ied) 1 tr. use or wield vigorously (a tool, weapon, etc.). 2 tr. work steadily at (one's business or trade). 3 tr. (foll. by with) a supply (a person) continuously (with food, drink, etc.). b approach repeatedly (with questions, demands, etc.). 4 a intr. (often foll. by between) (of a vehicle etc.) travel regularly (to and fro between two points). b tr. work (a route) in this way. 5 intr. (of a taxi-driver, boatman, etc.) attend regularly for custom (ply for trade). 6 intr. sail to windward. Etymology: ME plye, f. APPLY

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ply Ply, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Plied; p. pr. & vb. n. Plying.] [OE. plien, F. plier to fold, to bend, fr. L. plicare; akin to Gr. ?, G. flechten. Cf. Apply, Complex, Display, Duplicity, Employ, Exploit, Implicate, Plait, Pliant, Flax.] 1. To bend. [Obs.] As men may warm wax with handes plie. --Chaucer. 2. To lay on closely, or in folds; to work upon steadily, or with repeated acts; to press upon; to urge importunately; as, to ply one with questions, with solicitations, or with drink. And plies him with redoubled strokes --Dryden. He plies the duke at morning and at night. --Shak. 3. To employ diligently; to use steadily. Go ply thy needle; meddle not. --Shak. 4. To practice or perform with diligence; to work at. Their bloody task, unwearied, still they ply. --Waller.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ply Ply, n. [Cf. F. pli, fr. plier. See Ply, v.] 1. A fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord. --Arbuthnot. 2. Bent; turn; direction; bias. The late learners can not so well take the ply. --Bacon. Boswell, and others of Goldsmith's contemporaries, . . . did not understand the secret plies of his character. --W. Irving. The czar's mind had taken a strange ply, which it retained to the last. --Macaulay. Note: Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ply Ply, v. i. 1. To bend; to yield. [Obs.] It would rather burst atwo than plye. --Chaucer. The willow plied, and gave way to the gust. --L'Estrange. 2. To act, go, or work diligently and steadily; especially, to do something by repeated actions; to go back and forth; as, a steamer plies between certain ports. Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with plying hard and daily). --Milton. He was forced to ply in the streets as a porter. --Addison. The heavy hammers and mallets plied. --Longfellow. 3. (Naut.) To work to windward; to beat.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(plies, plying, plied) 1. If you ply someone with food or drink, you keep giving them more of it. Elsie, who had been told that Maria wasn't well, plied her with food... VERB: V n with n 2. If you ply someone with questions, you keep asking them questions. Giovanni plied him with questions with the intention of prolonging his stay. VERB: V n with n 3. If you ply a trade, you do a particular kind of work regularly as your job, especially a kind of work that involves trying to sell goods or services to people outdoors. ...the market traders noisily plying their wares... It's illegal for unmarked mini-cabs to ply for hire. VERB: V n, V for n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Employ, apply, keep busy. 2. Exercise, practise, put in practice. 3. Press hard, beset, assail briskly, lay on. 4. Urge, solicit, importune. 5. Offer repeatedly, present urgently, urge upon, press upon. II. n. 1. Fold, plait, twist. 2. Bent, turn, direction, bias.

Moby Thesaurus

about ship, apply pressure, back and fill, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, beat to windward, beset, besiege, blandish, boat, box off, break, bring about, bring round, bug, buttonhole, cajole, canoe, cant, cant round, carry sail, cast, cast about, change course, change the heading, circumnavigate, close-haul, coast, coat, coating, coax, collop, come about, come in contact, course, cover, covering, crease, creasing, crimp, crisp, cross, cruise, cut, deal, disk, dispense, do, do with, dog-ear, double, double a point, double over, doubling, dun, duplicature, employ, enfold, exercise, exert, exert pressure, feel, feel of, fetch about, feuille, film, finger, flap, flection, flexure, flick, flounce, flute, foil, fold, fold over, force upon, frill, function, gather, go about, go by ship, go on shipboard, go over, go to sea, gybe, handle, heave round, importune, infold, insist, interfold, jibe, jibe all standing, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, lap over, lapel, lappet, leaf, luff, luff up, make a passage, make use of, manage, maneuver, manipulate, measure, membrane, miss stays, motorboat, nag, nag at, navigate, operate, overpass, palm, palpate, pane, panel, pass over, pass through, patina, patrol, paw, peel, pellicle, perambulate, peregrinate, pererrate, pester, pinch, plague, plait, plank, plat, plate, plating, play, pleat, plica, plicate, plication, plicature, ply upon, plywood, poke at, practice, press, press upon, pressure, prod, push, push upon, put about, put back, put forth, put out, quill, range, range over, rasher, reconnoiter, round a point, row, ruche, ruching, ruff, ruffle, run, safety glass, sail, sail fine, sail round, sail the sea, scour, scour the country, scout, scull, scum, seafare, sheer, sheet, shift, skin, slab, slat, slew, slice, steam, steamboat, sweep, swerve, swing, swing round, swing the stern, table, tablet, tack, take a voyage, tap, tease, throw, throw about, thrust upon, thumb, touch, touch the wind, track, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, tuck, turn, turn back, turn over, twiddle, twill, urge, urge upon, use, utilize, veer, veneer, voyage, wafer, wear, wear ship, wheedle, wield, wind, work, work on, yacht, yaw