ply

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ply¹

(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 Englishplien, from Old Frenchplier, alteration ofpleier, from Latinplicāre,to fold; seeplek- inIndo-European roots.]

ply²

(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 Englishplien, fromapplien,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,plyingorplied

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.

[C14plye, short foraplye to apply]

ply

(plaɪ)

n,plplies

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 Frenchpli fold, fromplier to fold, from Latinplicāre]

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 Englishplien, aph. variant ofaplien toapply]

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 Englishplien < Middle Frenchplier to fold, bend, variant ofployer, Old Frenchpleier < Latinplicāre to fold; seefold¹]

ply

- From Latin plicare, "fold," a thickness or any of the layers of a multilayer material, such as plywood.

ply

Past participle:plied
Gerund:plying

Imperative
ply
ply

Present
I ply
you ply
he/she/it plies
we ply
you ply
they ply

Preterite
I plied
you plied
he/she/it plied
we plied
you plied
they plied

Present Continuous
I am plying
you are plying
he/she/it is plying
we are plying
you are plying
they are plying

Present Perfect
I have plied
you have plied
he/she/it has plied
we have plied
you have plied
they have plied

Past Continuous
I was plying
you were plying
he/she/it was plying
we were plying
you were plying
they were plying

Past Perfect
I had plied
you had plied
he/she/it had plied
we had plied
you had plied
they had plied

Future
I will ply
you will ply
he/she/it will ply
we will ply
you will ply
they will ply

Future Perfect
I will have plied
you will have plied
he/she/it will have plied
we will have plied
you will have plied
they will have plied

Future Continuous
I will be plying
you will be plying
he/she/it will be plying
we will be plying
you will be plying
they will be plying

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been plying
you have been plying
he/she/it has been plying
we have been plying
you have been plying
they have been plying

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been plying
you will have been plying
he/she/it will have been plying
we will have been plying
you will have been plying
they will have been plying

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been plying
you had been plying
he/she/it had been plying
we had been plying
you had been plying
they had been plying

Conditional
I would ply
you would ply
he/she/it would ply
we would ply
you would ply
they would ply

Past Conditional
I would have plied
you would have plied
he/she/it would have plied
we would have plied
you would have plied
they would have plied

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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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" cater,provide,supply 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 pimp,procure,pander - arrange for sexual partners for others 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" pander,gratify,indulge - yield (to); give satisfaction to underlay - provide with a base, support, lining, or backing; "underlay the boards with joists" fulfil,fulfill,satisfy,meet,fill - fill or meet a want or need 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" do,perform - get (something) done; "I did my job"
	3.	ply - travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" run jaunt,travel,trip - make a trip for pleasure 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" wield,handle,manage - handle effectively; "The burglar wielded an axe"; "The young violinist didn't manage her bow very well"
	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"

ply

verb

1.provide,supply,shower,lavish,regaleElsie plied her with food and drink.

2.bombard,press,harass,besiege,beset,assail,importuneGiovanni plied him with questions.

3.work at,follow,exercise,pursue,carry on,practisestreetmarkets with stallholders plying their trade

4.travel,go,ferry,shuttleThe brightly-coloured boats ply between the islands.

5.use,handle,employ,swing,manipulate,wield,utilizeWith startling efficiency, the chef plied his knives.

ply

nounthickness,leaf,sheet,layer,fold,strandThe plastic surfaces are covered with teak ply.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ply¹

verb

To bend together or make a crease in so that one part lies over another:

crease,double,fold,pleat,ruck.

ply²

verb

1.To use with or as if with the hands:

handle,manipulate,wield.

2.To bring to bear steadily or forcefully:

exercise,exert,put out,throw,wield.

Translations

سُمْك، طَبَقَهيَسْتَعْمِل بِشِدَّهيَعْمَل ، يَشْتَغِل كَيُواصِل تَزْويد

dobře ovládatpramenprovozovatsílastále nalévat

bruge energiskforsyneudøve

ausüben -fach hantieren nötigen

épaisseur exercer

iîka, vinna viîlagnota, beitaveita óspart

strato usare assillare capo fare la spola

apgādātkārtarīkotiesšķiedrastrādāt, pūlēties

bruke flittig forsyne rikelig -tråds

dobre ovládaťstále nalievať

çalışmakikrama boğmakkat kullanmaksürekli çalışmak

不断供应从事使劲挥舞层

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 suprofesión

2.to ply sb for information →importunar a algn pidiéndoleinformación
to ply sb with questions →acosar a algn conpreguntas
to ply sb with drink →noparar deofrecer debeber a algn

B.VIto ply between →ir yvenir de
to ply for hire →iren busca de clientes

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]

(=plywood) →contreplaquém

[wool] →film

[wood] →feuillef,épaisseurf

[+tool] →manier

[+trade] →exercer
to ply one's trade →exercer sonmétier

to ply sb with drink →donner continuellement àboire à qn
He plied me with vodka all evening →Il m'afait boire de la vodka toute lasoirée.
to ply sb with food and drink
They plied us with food and drink →Ils nousoffraient constamment àmanger et àboire.
to ply sb with questions →bombarder qn dequestions

[ship] →faire la navette
to ply between ... and ... [ship, aircraft, vehicle] →faire la navette entre ... et ...
the ferry that plies between Dover and Boulogne →leferry quifait lanavette entreDouvres et Boulognethree ply

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ply

nthree-ply(wood) →dreischichtig;tissues →dreilagig;three-ply wool →Dreifachwollef, →dreifädige Wolle;whatply is this wool? →wievielfach ist diese Wolle?, wie vieleFäden hat diese Wolle?

ply

(= work with, use)tool, brush etc →gebrauchen,umgehen mit,führen;(= work busily with)tool, brush etc →fleißig führenorumgehen mit

(= work at)trade →ausüben,betreiben,nachgehen(+dat)

(ships)sea, river, route →befahren

toply somebody with questions →jdn mitFragen überhäufen;toply somebody with drink(s) →jdn immer wieder zum Trinken auffordern;she kept her guests well plied with drinks →siesorgte dafür, dass ihrenGästen dieGetränke nicht ausgingen

vi (ship)toply between →verkehren zwischen;toply for hire →seineDienste anbieten

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]

1.n (of wool) →capo; (of wood) →strato

2.adjthree-ply wood →compensato a tre strati
three-ply wool →lana a tre capi

ply

²[plaɪ]

1.vt (knitting needle, tool) →maneggiare; (sea, river, route) →viaggiare regolarmente su
to ply one's trade →esercitare il propriomestiere
to ply sb with questions →continuare a far domande a qn
to ply sb with drink →continuare a offrir dabere a qn

2.vito ply between →far laspola fra,fare servizio regolare fra
to ply for hire (taxi) →andare avanti e indietro in attesa di clienti

ply¹

(plai) verb

1. an old word for to work at.He plies his trade as weaver. verrig werk يَعْمَل ، يَشْتَغِل كَ работя exercer provozovatausüben udøve ασκώ επάγγελμα (αρχ.)ejercer ametit pidama کار کردن harjoittaa ammattiaexercer לְהַצִיע שֵׁירוּתִים आना-जाना raditi s dolgozik mengerjakan iðka, vinna viðesercitare ～にせいを出す (일, 장사를) 하다 užsiimti strādāt, pūlēties bekerjabeoefenenutøve,driveuprawiać,pracować كار كول exercer a-şi face meseria (de)заниматься vykonávať opravljati raditi svoj posao arbeta träget ทำงานçalışmak,yapmak 從事 займатися چلانا làm việc从事

2. to use (a tooletc) vigorously. oorlaai يَسْتَعْمِل بِشِدَّه употребявам manejar dobře ovládat hantieren mit bruge energiskχειρίζομαιmanejar osavalt käsitsema استفاده کردن käytellä manier vigoureusement לַעֲבוֹד קָשֶׁה עִם- काम में लाना rukovati használ menggunakan nota, beitamaneggiare せっせと使う 부지런히 놀리다 energingai darbuotis rīkoties (ar kaut ko) menggunakan ssthanterenbruke flittigmachać ګټه پورته كول manejar a mânui усердно работать; налегать dobre ovládať (pridno) uporabljati vešto baratati använda, bruka ใช้อย่างคล่องแคล่วkullanmak, sürekli çalışmak 使勁揮舞 старанно працювати استعمال کرنا điều khiển使劲挥舞

3. to keep supplying.They plied their guests with drink. voorsien يُواصِل تَزْويد доставям encher de stále nalévat nötigen zu forsyne στουμπώνω, προσφέρω φορτικά no parar de ofrecer pakkumist jätkama رساندن tyrkyttää fournir sans arrêt לְסַפֵּק लगे रहना या लग जाना obilno nuditi pićem ellát memberi veita óspart どんどん出す 귀찮게 권하다 primygtinai siūlyti, vaišinti apgādāt menghidangkan sesuatu tdk henti-hentivoerenforsyne rikeligraczyć رسول encher de a copleşi cu усиленно угощать stále nalievať redno oskrbovati snabdevati bjuda, traktera จัดหาให้ ikrama boğmak 不斷供應 частувати, наполегливо пригощати فراہم کرتے رہنا tiếp liên tục不断供应

ply²

(plai) noun

a thickness, layer or strand, as inthree-ply / two-ply wool. laag سُمْك، طَبَقَه пласт camada síla, pramen-fach -trådetφύλλο, κλωνίcapa,cabo,chapa kiht لایه؛ لا -säikeinen, -viiluinenépaisseur,fil בַּעַל שְׁכָבוֹת लकड़ी debljina -rétegű, -szálú lapisan, lipatan lagcapo 重ね 두께, 층 gija, sluoksnis kārta; šķiedra lapislaaglag, –trådswarstwa لايه، لا، پوښ، مخ camada grosime, firслой hrúbka; prameň debelina (blaga); vlakno sloj lager, skikt ความหนาเป็นชั้นkat,tabaka 層(厚度) петля; виток پرت، تہہ lớp gỗ 层（厚度）

ˈplywood noun, adjective

(of) a material made up of thin layers of wood glued together.a plywood box. laaghout خَشَب مُكَوَّن من طَبَقات шперплат compensado překližka das Sperrholz krydsfiner; krydsfiner- κόντρα πλακέ madera contrachapada vineer تخته چندلا vanericontre-plaquéדיקט परतदार लकड़ी, परती लकड़ी šperploča furnérlemez plywood, kayu lapis krossviðurcompensato 合板 합판 fanera finieris; saplāksnis papan lapis gelaagd houtkryssfinersklejka,dykta څو لايه تخته يا څو پوښه تختهcontraplacado placajфанера preglejka vezana plošča šperploča plywood, kryssfaner ไม้อัด kontrplâk 膠合板 фанера پلائي لکڑي، پرت دار لکڑي gỗ dán胶合板

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For it is true, that late learners cannot so well take theply; except it be in some minds, that have not suffered themselves to fix, but have kept themselves open, and prepared to receive continual amendment, which is exceeding rare.

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As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work that was cut out, and began toply with their little fingers, stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them.

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A blacksmith's forge, which had been set up in the shelter of a grove near the beach, attracted so great a crowd, that it required the utmost efforts of the sentries posted around to keep the inquisitive multitude at a sufficient distance to allow the workmen toply their vocation.

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Don't you know that to shut him up here andply him with brandy is as much murder as though you stood with a knife at his throat?"

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Now, youply him with the `Trumpet,' Humphrey; and I will put the leeches on him.

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And toply them with that evil still, to keep up the work of demons, is what brings the others back."

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