ply

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈplī

plied; plying

transitive verb

: to use or wield diligently

busily plying his pen

: to practice or perform diligently

ply a trade

: to keep furnishing or supplying something to

plied us with liquor

: to make a practice of rowing or sailing over or on

the boat plies the river

: to go or travel regularly over, on, or through

jets plying the skies

intransitive verb

: to apply oneself steadily

: to go or travel regularly

ply

2 of 3

noun

plural plies

: one of several layers (as of cloth) usually sewn or laminated together

: one of the strands in a yarn

: one of the veneer sheets forming plywood

: a layer of a paper or cardboard

: inclination, bias

ply

3 of 3

verb (2)

plied; plying

transitive verb

: to twist together

ply two single yarns

Example Sentences

Noun a single ply of fabric since taking a ply to French burgundies, he's hardly even looked at anything else in the wine store

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But few concepts ever go beyond that stage, and even fewer get to ply real roads with other motorists, let alone with scrappy journalists behind the wheel.

Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, 24 July 2022 An artist needed both good hand-eye coordination and a relatively calm sea in order to ply his trade.

Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 29 July 2022 The tabletop system enables Tortuga’s strawberry bots to ply their trade by making berries easier to pluck with robotic arms and protecting the robots from direct exposure to the elements.

Sam Deanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 In Phnom Penh’s museum, the skulls are stacked in aquarium tanks: grim toys for hooks to ply free from the rubble.

New York Times, 14 July 2022 Some New Yorkers who ply the longest subway route say the city feels unmoored.

New York Times, 8 Aug. 2022 Many Filipinos are increasingly aware that the livelihoods of their country’s fishermen are being threatened by Chinese boats that ply the South China Sea.

New York Times, 9 May 2022 The rollout of Lockdown Mode follows several recent triumphs against spyware companies, who for a long time appeared able to ply their trade with impunity.

Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 7 July 2022 With possession of my email address and the authentic email the owner had sent me in January, TA578 now had the raw materials to ply its trade.

Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 July 2022

Noun

This process twists the wool fibers into a single-ply rope-like structure.

Scott Douglas, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2022 Nuyarn, in contrast, is a two-ply yarn in which merino fibers are spun around a filament, primarily virgin nylon.

Scott Douglas, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2022 This simple one-ply car cover comes in a bevy of sizes to fit mid-size sedans, large SUVS, and many in between.

Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 22 June 2022 The Dior Maison surfboard is composed of polyester, polyurethane foam, fiberglass, polyethylene and three-ply lime wood.

Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 5 July 2022 Two-ply yarn means a thread that is made up of two smaller strands that have been twisted together.

Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 31 May 2022 The district warehouse stores two-ply TP for schools.

Connor Sanders, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Mar. 2022 Gimmicky marketers use two- or three-ply yarns to double or triple the thread count.

Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 31 May 2022 The masks feature five layers, including a three-ply nanofiber membrane filter, which has been tested by Nelson Labs to provide over 99.9 percent filtration against viruses, bacteria, pollen, air pollution, smoke and other pollutants.

Nicole Charky-chami, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English plien "to put on, around or over, use," aphetic form of aplien, applien "to join, combine, use for a certain purpose, apply"

Noun

borrowed from French pli "fold, pleat, crease," going back to Old French plei, pli "joint in armor, fold," noun derivative from pleier, plier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3

Verb (2)

Middle English plien "to bend, fold, be capable of bending, be flexible, make submissive, be submissive," borrowed from Anglo-French pleier, plaier, ploier, plier "to fold, bend, (intransitive) bend, bow down, sag" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin plicāre "to fold, bend," back-formation from -plicāre in compounds such as applicāre "to bring into contact (with)," complicāre "to fold together," explicāre "to free from folds, straighten," implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine," replicāre "to fold back on itself," formed from a stem *-plec-, probably a variant, without the formative -t-, of the stem of plectere "to plait, twine," going back to Indo-European *pleḱ-t-, whence also Germanic *flehtan- "to braid, plait" (whence Old Saxon & Old High German flehtan "to plait, weave together," Old Icelandic flétta; in nominal derivation Old English flehta "wickerwork," flohtenfōte "web-footed," Gothic flahta "braid"), Old Church Slavic pletǫ, plesti "to weave (intrigues)"; from *pleḱ- alone in Greek plékein "to plait, braid, weave," with nominal derivatives in Greek plokḗ "weaving," plókos "braid, lock," Sanskrit praśna- "turban" and perhaps Avestan ərəzatō.frašna- "having a golden helmet/coat of mail"

Note: Latin plicāre developed regularly to Old French pleier, later ploier (Modern French ployer "to bend, bow"). The parallel medieval French verb plier (Modern French plier "to fold") arose by analogy with verbs such as prier "to ask," from Latin precārī, which had variants with -i- and -ei- depending on where stress fell on inflected forms, leading to generalization of one or the other form throughout the paradigm. In the case of pleier/ploier, the invasive form pli- first appeared under stress and later spread to unstressed forms. Older ploier was never displaced, however, and the maintenance of both forms lead to two independent verbs with slightly different senses. — In addition to forming the base of -plicāre in applicāre (see apply), complicāre (see complicate entry 2), explicāre (see explicate), implicāre (see implicate, imply), replicāre (see replicate entry 1, reply entry 1), the Latin stem *plec- may also be the second element of nominal compounds such as duplic-. duplex "folded double, having two parts" (see duplex entry 1), simplic-, simplex "consisting of one element" (see simple entry 1), etc. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine) refer to -plicāre as an "intensive" ("un intensif") relative to plectere. Slavic *pletǫ (in the Old Church Slavic form cited above) must go back to *plek-t-, as the root with the palatovelar would result in an unattested *plestǫ. Alternatively, pletǫ could represent *ple-t- and be allied with Germanic *falþan- (see fold entry 1); this is the suggestion of Ernout and Meillet.

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

单词	repliers
释义	ply 1 of 3 verb (1) ˈplī plied; plying 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 ply 2 of 3 noun plural plies 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 ply 3 of 3 verb (2) plied; plying transitive verb : to twist together ply two single yarns Synonyms Verb (1) apply exercise exert put out wield Noun bias favor nonobjectivity one-sidedness parti pris partiality partisanship prejudice tendentiousness Verb (2) enlace entwine implicate [archaic] interlace intertwine intertwist interweave inweave lace twist weave wreathe writhe See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun a single ply of fabric since taking a ply to French burgundies, he's hardly even looked at anything else in the wine store Recent Examples on the Web Verb But few concepts ever go beyond that stage, and even fewer get to ply real roads with other motorists, let alone with scrappy journalists behind the wheel. Mike Sutton, Car and Driver, 24 July 2022 An artist needed both good hand-eye coordination and a relatively calm sea in order to ply his trade. Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 29 July 2022 The tabletop system enables Tortuga’s strawberry bots to ply their trade by making berries easier to pluck with robotic arms and protecting the robots from direct exposure to the elements. Sam Deanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 In Phnom Penh’s museum, the skulls are stacked in aquarium tanks: grim toys for hooks to ply free from the rubble. New York Times, 14 July 2022 Some New Yorkers who ply the longest subway route say the city feels unmoored. New York Times, 8 Aug. 2022 Many Filipinos are increasingly aware that the livelihoods of their country’s fishermen are being threatened by Chinese boats that ply the South China Sea. New York Times, 9 May 2022 The rollout of Lockdown Mode follows several recent triumphs against spyware companies, who for a long time appeared able to ply their trade with impunity. Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 7 July 2022 With possession of my email address and the authentic email the owner had sent me in January, TA578 now had the raw materials to ply its trade. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 July 2022 Noun This process twists the wool fibers into a single-ply rope-like structure. Scott Douglas, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2022 Nuyarn, in contrast, is a two-ply yarn in which merino fibers are spun around a filament, primarily virgin nylon. Scott Douglas, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2022 This simple one-ply car cover comes in a bevy of sizes to fit mid-size sedans, large SUVS, and many in between. Talon Homer, Popular Mechanics, 22 June 2022 The Dior Maison surfboard is composed of polyester, polyurethane foam, fiberglass, polyethylene and three-ply lime wood. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 5 July 2022 Two-ply yarn means a thread that is made up of two smaller strands that have been twisted together. Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 31 May 2022 The district warehouse stores two-ply TP for schools. Connor Sanders, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Mar. 2022 Gimmicky marketers use two- or three-ply yarns to double or triple the thread count. Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 31 May 2022 The masks feature five layers, including a three-ply nanofiber membrane filter, which has been tested by Nelson Labs to provide over 99.9 percent filtration against viruses, bacteria, pollen, air pollution, smoke and other pollutants. Nicole Charky-chami, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb (1) Middle English plien "to put on, around or over, use," aphetic form of aplien, applien "to join, combine, use for a certain purpose, apply" Noun borrowed from French pli "fold, pleat, crease," going back to Old French plei, pli "joint in armor, fold," noun derivative from pleier, plier "to fold, bend" — more at ply entry 3 Verb (2) Middle English plien "to bend, fold, be capable of bending, be flexible, make submissive, be submissive," borrowed from Anglo-French pleier, plaier, ploier, plier "to fold, bend, (intransitive) bend, bow down, sag" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin plicāre "to fold, bend," back-formation from -plicāre in compounds such as applicāre "to bring into contact (with)," complicāre "to fold together," explicāre "to free from folds, straighten," implicāre "to fold about itself, entwine," replicāre "to fold back on itself," formed from a stem -plec-, probably a variant, without the formative -t-,* of the stem of plectere "to plait, twine," going back to Indo-European pleḱ-t-, whence also Germanic flehtan- "to braid, plait" (whence Old Saxon & Old High German flehtan "to plait, weave together," Old Icelandic flétta; in nominal derivation Old English flehta "wickerwork," flohtenfōte "web-footed," Gothic flahta "braid"), Old Church Slavic pletǫ, plesti "to weave (intrigues)"; from pleḱ- alone in Greek plékein* "to plait, braid, weave," with nominal derivatives in Greek plokḗ "weaving," plókos "braid, lock," Sanskrit praśna- "turban" and perhaps Avestan ərəzatō.frašna- "having a golden helmet/coat of mail" Note: Latin plicāre developed regularly to Old French pleier, later ploier (Modern French ployer "to bend, bow"). The parallel medieval French verb plier (Modern French plier "to fold") arose by analogy with verbs such as prier "to ask," from Latin precārī, which had variants with -i- and -ei- depending on where stress fell on inflected forms, leading to generalization of one or the other form throughout the paradigm. In the case of pleier/ploier, the invasive form pli- first appeared under stress and later spread to unstressed forms. Older ploier was never displaced, however, and the maintenance of both forms lead to two independent verbs with slightly different senses. — In addition to forming the base of -plicāre in applicāre (see apply), complicāre (see complicate entry 2), explicāre (see explicate), implicāre (see implicate, imply), replicāre (see replicate entry 1, reply entry 1), the Latin stem plec- may also be the second element of nominal compounds such as duplic-. duplex* "folded double, having two parts" (see duplex entry 1), simplic-, simplex "consisting of one element" (see simple entry 1), etc. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine) refer to -plicāre as an "intensive" ("un intensif") relative to plectere. Slavic pletǫ (in the Old Church Slavic form cited above) must go back to plek-t-, as the root with the palatovelar would result in an unattested plestǫ. Alternatively, pletǫ* could represent ple-t- and be allied with Germanic falþan- (see fold entry 1); this is the suggestion of Ernout and Meillet. First Known Use Verb (1) 14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Noun 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb (2) circa 1909, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing ply bias-ply tire multi-ply ply one's trade ply for hire/business/trade ply with ply one's wares two-ply three-ply bias-ply tire multi-ply ply one's trade ply for hire/business/trade ply with ply one's wares two-ply three-ply See More Kids Definition ply 1 of 2 verb ˈplī plied; plying 1 : to use something steadily or forcefully ply an ax 2 : to keep supplying They plied their guest with food. 3 : to work at Carpenters were busy plying their trade. ply 2 of 2 noun plural plies : one of the folds, layers, or threads that make something (as yarn or plywood) repliers noun plural of replier as in responders Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance responders answerers respondents interviewees pollees witnesses reporters informants attesters testifiers Antonyms & Near Antonyms interviewers canvassers pollsters pollers questioners inquirers askers canvasers queriers querists See More
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ply

verb (1)

noun

verb (2)

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing ply

Kids Definition

verb

noun

noun