ply

¹

[ plahy ]

verb (used with object)

, plied, ply·ing.

1. to work with or at diligently; employ busily; use:

   to ply the needle.

2. to carry on, practice, or pursue busily or steadily:

   to ply a trade.

   Synonyms: exercise, follow

3. to treat with or apply to (something) repeatedly (often followed by with ):

   to ply a fire with fresh fuel.

4. to assail persistently:

   to ply horses with a whip.

5. to supply with or offer something pressingly to:

   to ply a person with drink.

6. to address (someone) persistently or urgently, as with questions, solicitations, etc.; importune.
7. to pass over or along (a river, stream, etc.) steadily or on a regular basis:

   boats that ply the Mississippi.

verb (used without object)

, plied, ply·ing.

1. to run or travel regularly over a fixed course or between certain places, as a boat, bus, etc.
2. to perform one's work or office busily or steadily:

   to ply with the oars; to ply at a trade.

ply

²

[ plahy ]

noun

, plural plies.

1. a thickness or layer.
2. Automotive. a layer of reinforcing fabric for a tire.
3. a unit of yarn:

   single ply.

4. one of the sheets of veneer that are glued together to make plywood.
5. Informal. plywood.
6. bent, bias, or inclination.

verb (used with object)

, plied, ply·ing.

1. British Dialect. to bend, fold, or mold.

verb (used without object)

, plied, ply·ing.

1. Obsolete. to bend, incline, or yield.

ply

¹

/ plaɪ /

noun

1. 1. a layer, fold, or thickness, as of cloth, wood, yarn, etc
   2. ( in combination )

      four-ply

2. a thin sheet of wood glued to other similar sheets to form plywood
3. one of the strands twisted together to make rope, yarn, etc

verb

1. to twist together (two or more single strands) to make yarn

ply

²

/ plaɪ /

verb

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 the speaker with questions

   he plied us with drink the whole evening

   to ply a horse with a whip

5. intr to perform or work steadily or diligently

   to ply with a spade

6. 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

Other Words From

• plying·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ply¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English plien, shortened variant of ap(p)lien apply

Origin of ply²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb plien, pleie, plaie “to bend, fold, mold,” from Middle French plier, ployer “to fold, bend,” variant of ployer, Old French pleier, from Latin plicāre “to fold”; fold ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ply¹

C15: from Old French pli fold, from plier to fold, from Latin plicāre

Origin of ply²

C14 plye, short for aplye to apply

Example Sentences

When asked a question, they ply through their database and try to synthesize from it the most probable answer.

From Los Angeles Times

“Understanding the dynamics and pervasiveness of situational power is essential to learning how to resist it,” he wrote in 2002, “and to weaken the dominance of the many agents of mind control who ply their trade daily on all of us behind many faces and fronts.”

From Los Angeles Times

England back row Jack Willis and Scotland back Blair Kinghorn ply their trade at champions Toulouse, while prop Kyle Sinckler has impressed at Toulon since his summer move from Bristol.

From BBC

He is back in the XV-a-side game having signed with Top 14 side Pau, where former Exeter pair Joe Simmonds and Harry Williams and former England scrum-half Dan Robson also ply their trade.

From BBC

Afcons claims the bridge can withstand a strong "explosion of up to 40kg of TNT" and trains would continue to ply, albeit at slower speeds, even if there was damage or a pillar was knocked out.

From BBC