ply
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Related to plying: played
ply 1
(plī)tr.v. plied (plīd), ply·ing, plies (plīz)
1. To join together, as by molding or twisting.
2. To double over (cloth, for example).
n. pl. plies (plīz)
1. A layer, as of doubled-over cloth or of paperboard.
2. One of the sheets of wood glued together to form plywood.
3. A layer of rubber-coated fabric, often of nylon or polyester cords, forming the body of an automobile tire.
4. One of the strands twisted together to make yarn, rope, or thread. Often used in combination: three-ply cord.
5. A bias; an inclination.
[Middle English plien, from Old French plier, alteration of pleier, from Latin plicāre, to fold; see plek- in Indo-European roots.]
ply 2
(plī)v. plied (plīd), ply·ing, plies (plīz)
v.tr.
1. To use diligently; wield: ply a knitting needle.
2. To engage in diligently; practice: plied the carpenter's trade. See Synonyms at handle.
3. To traverse or sail over regularly: Trading ships plied the routes between coastal ports.
4. To continue offering something to (someone); ensure that (someone) is abundantly served: plied their guests with excellent food.
5. To ask questions or make requests of (someone) insistently.
v.intr.
1. To traverse a route or course regularly: The boat plies between the islands on a weekly schedule.
2. To perform or work diligently or regularly: plied at the weaver's trade for 20 years.
3. Nautical To work against the wind by a zigzag course; tack.
[Middle English plien, from applien, to apply; see apply.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ply
(plaɪ)vb (mainly tr) , plies, plying or plied
1. to carry on, pursue, or work at (a job, trade, etc)
2. to manipulate or wield (a tool)
3. to sell (goods, wares, etc), esp at a regular place
4. (usually foll by with) to provide (with) or subject (to) repeatedly or persistently: he plied us with drink the whole evening; to ply a horse with a whip; he plied the speaker with questions.
5. (intr) to perform or work steadily or diligently: to ply with a spade.
6. (Nautical Terms) (also intr) (esp of a ship) to travel regularly along (a route) or in (an area): to ply between Dover and Calais; to ply the trade routes.
[C14 plye, short for aplye to apply]
ply
(plaɪ)n, pl plies
1.
a. a layer, fold, or thickness, as of cloth, wood, yarn, etc
b. (in combination): four-ply.
2. (Building) a thin sheet of wood glued to other similar sheets to form plywood
3. (Textiles) one of the strands twisted together to make rope, yarn, etc
vb (tr)
(Textiles) to twist together (two or more single strands) to make yarn
[C15: from Old French pli fold, from plier to fold, from Latin plicāre]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ply1
(plaɪ)v. plied, ply•ing. v.t.
1. to work with diligently; employ busily; wield: to ply the needle.
2. to carry on, practice, or pursue busily or steadily: to ply a trade.
3. to assail repeatedly or persistently: to ply horses with a whip.
4. to supply or offer something pressingly to: to ply a person with drink.
5. to address persistently, as with questions; importune.
6. to pass over or along (a river, stream, etc.) steadily or regularly: boats plying the Mississippi.
v.i. 7. to run or travel regularly over a fixed course or between certain places, as a boat or bus.
8. to perform one's work or office busily or steadily: to ply with the oars.
[1300–50; Middle English plien, aph. variant of aplien to apply]
ply2
(plaɪ)n., pl. plies.
1. a thickness or layer.
2. a layer of reinforcing fabric for an automobile tire.
3. a unit of yarn: single ply.
4. one of the sheets of veneer glued together to make plywood.
5. bent, bias, or inclination.
[1300–50; Middle English plien < Middle French plier to fold, bend, variant of ployer, Old French pleier < Latin plicāre to fold; see fold1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ply
- From Latin plicare, "fold," a thickness or any of the layers of a multilayer material, such as plywood.See also related terms for layers.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ply
Past participle: plied
Gerund: plying
| Imperative |
|---|
| ply |
| ply |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | ply - one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination; "three-ply cord"; "four-ply yarn" strand - line consisting of a complex of fibers or filaments that are twisted together to form a thread or a rope or a cable |
| 2. | ply - (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood layer, bed - single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance; "slices of hard-boiled egg on a bed of spinach" combining form - a bound form used only in compounds; "`hemato-' is a combining form in words like `hematology'" | |
| Verb | 1. | ply - give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" staff - provide with staff; "This position is not always staffed" drench - force to drink regale, treat - provide with choice or abundant food or drink; "Don't worry about the expensive wine--I'm treating"; "She treated her houseguests with good food every night" board - provide food and lodging (for); "The old lady is boarding three men" feed, give - give food to; "Feed the starving children in India"; "don't give the child this tough meat" feed - serve as food for; be the food for; "This dish feeds six" dish, dish up, serve up, dish out, serve - provide (usually but not necessarily food); "We serve meals for the homeless"; "She dished out the soup at 8 P.M."; "The entertainers served up a lively show" cater - supply food ready to eat; for parties and banquets help, serve - help to some food; help with food or drink; "I served him three times, and after that he helped himself" power - supply the force or power for the functioning of; "The gasoline powers the engines" feed - provide as food; "Feed the guests the nuts" underlay - provide with a base, support, lining, or backing; "underlay the boards with joists" horse - provide with a horse or horses shower - provide abundantly with; "He showered her with presents" accommodate - provide with something desired or needed; "Can you accommodate me with a rental car?" nourish, nurture, sustain - provide with nourishment; "We sustained ourselves on bread and water"; "This kind of food is not nourishing for young children" fix up - find (something or someone) for; "I'll fix you up with a nice girl" gutter - provide with gutters; "gutter the buildings" give - transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?"; "She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care" |
| 2. | ply - apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade" | |
| 3. | ply - travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" black market, run - deal in illegally, such as arms or liquor | |
| 4. | ply - join together as by twisting, weaving, or molding; "ply fabric" bring together, join - cause to become joined or linked; "join these two parts so that they fit together" | |
| 5. | ply - wield vigorously; "ply an axe" | |
| 6. | ply - use diligently; "ply your wits!" apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize - put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
ply
1verb
ply
2Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
ply 1
verbply 2
verb1. To use with or as if with the hands:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
سُمْك، طَبَقَهيَسْتَعْمِل بِشِدَّهيَعْمَل ، يَشْتَغِل كَيُواصِل تَزْويد
dobře ovládatpramenprovozovatsílastále nalévat
bruge energiskforsyneudøve
iîka, vinna viîlagnota, beitaveita óspart
apgādātkārtarīkotiesšķiedrastrādāt, pūlēties
dobre ovládaťstále nalievať
ply
[plaɪ]A. VT
1. [+ needle, tool] → manejar, emplear; [+ oars] → emplear; [+ river, route] → navegar por (liter) [+ sea] → navegar por, surcar (liter)
to ply one's trade → ejercer su profesión
to ply one's trade → ejercer su profesión
2. to ply sb for information → importunar a algn pidiéndole información
to ply sb with questions → acosar a algn con preguntas
to ply sb with drink → no parar de ofrecer de beber a algn
to ply sb with questions → acosar a algn con preguntas
to ply sb with drink → no parar de ofrecer de beber a algn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
ply
[ˈplaɪ] vt
[+ tool] → manier
to ply sb with drink → donner continuellement à boire à qn
He plied me with vodka all evening → Il m'a fait boire de la vodka toute la soirée.
to ply sb with food and drink
They plied us with food and drink → Ils nous offraient constamment à manger et à boire.
to ply sb with questions → bombarder qn de questions
He plied me with vodka all evening → Il m'a fait boire de la vodka toute la soirée.
to ply sb with food and drink
They plied us with food and drink → Ils nous offraient constamment à manger et à boire.
to ply sb with questions → bombarder qn de questions
vi
[ship] → faire la navette
to ply between ... and ... [ship, aircraft, vehicle] → faire la navette entre ... et ...
the ferry that plies between Dover and Boulogne → le ferry qui fait la navette entre Douvres et Boulogne three ply
to ply between ... and ... [ship, aircraft, vehicle] → faire la navette entre ... et ...
the ferry that plies between Dover and Boulogne → le ferry qui fait la navette entre Douvres et Boulogne three ply
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
ply
1n three-ply (wood) → dreischichtig; tissues → dreilagig; three-ply wool → Dreifachwolle f, → dreifädige Wolle; what ply is this wool? → wievielfach ist diese Wolle?, wie viele Fäden hat diese Wolle?
ply
2vt
(= work with, use) tool, brush etc → gebrauchen, umgehen mit, führen; (= work busily with) tool, brush etc → fleißig führen or umgehen mit
(ships) sea, river, route → befahren
to ply somebody with questions → jdn mit Fragen überhäufen; to ply somebody with drink(s) → jdn immer wieder zum Trinken auffordern; she kept her guests well plied with drinks → sie sorgte dafür, dass ihren Gästen die Getränke nicht ausgingen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
ply
1 [plaɪ]ply
2 [plaɪ]1. vt (knitting needle, tool) → maneggiare; (sea, river, route) → viaggiare regolarmente su
to ply one's trade → esercitare il proprio mestiere
to ply sb with questions → continuare a far domande a qn
to ply sb with drink → continuare a offrir da bere a qn
to ply one's trade → esercitare il proprio mestiere
to ply sb with questions → continuare a far domande a qn
to ply sb with drink → continuare a offrir da bere a qn
2. vi to ply between → far la spola fra, fare servizio regolare fra
to ply for hire (taxi) → andare avanti e indietro in attesa di clienti
to ply for hire (taxi) → andare avanti e indietro in attesa di clienti
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
ply1
(plai) verb1. an old word for to work at. He plies his trade as weaver.
2. to use (a tool etc) vigorously.
3. to keep supplying. They plied their guests with drink.
ply2
(plai) noun a thickness, layer or strand, as in three-ply / two-ply wool.
ˈplywood noun, adjective (of) a material made up of thin layers of wood glued together. a plywood box.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.