a light frame covered with some thin material, to be flown in the wind at the end of a long string.
any of several small birds of the hawk family Accipitridae that have long, pointed wings, feed on insects, carrion, reptiles, rodents, and birds, and are noted for their graceful, gliding flight.Compare black kite, swallow-tailed kite, white-tailed kite.
Nautical. flying kite.
Finance.
a check drawn against uncollected or insufficient funds, as for redepositing, with the intention of creating a false balance in the account by taking advantage of the time lapse required for collection.
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
a person who preys on others; sharper.
verb (used without object),kit·ed,kit·ing.
Informal. to fly or move with a rapid or easy motion like that of a kite.
to obtain money or credit through kites.
verb (used with object),kit·ed,kit·ing.
to employ (a check or the like) as a kite; to cash or pass (a kite, forged check, etc.).
Origin of kite
First recorded before 900 for def. 2; 1655–65 for def. 1; Middle English kyte,Old English cȳta “kite, bittern”; akin to German Kauz “owl”
It was an odd-looking thing, essentially an oval kite, quite a bit longer than it was wide, and lacking—as birds did—a fin or rudder to keep it pointed in the right direction.
The science behind how an aircraft glides|By Peter Garrison/Flying Mag|September 3, 2020|Popular Science
On most Saturdays and Sundays, we usually head up into the mountains, go for a hike, fly a kite, splash around in a stream maybe.
Investors continue to push global stocks into record territory|Bernhard Warner|August 24, 2020|Fortune
A speeding racecar, a flying kite, a kid cruising along on rollerblades — they all have momentum.
Scientists Say: Momentum|Carolyn Wilke|May 25, 2020|Science News For Students
Manned, unmanned, a balloon, a kite—you still have to get the information into the hands of the firefighters.
Fighting Wildfire With Satellites, Lasers, and Drones|Elizabeth Lopatto|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Maybe not good enough to fly a kite with my face on it through Central Park, but better.
Marlo Thomas Says Girls Should Feel Free to Be Like Hannah Horvath|Emily Shire|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a fairly well-known actor already—the star of The Kite Runner.
How Jehane Noujaim Made The Year’s Most Dangerous Documentary ‘The Square’|Andrew Romano|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The author of The Kite Runner picks his favorite short story collections.
Khaled Hosseini’s Favorite Story Collections|Khaled Hosseini|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I thought I was going to write a kind of simple nostalgic story about two boys and their love of kite fighting.
Khaled Hosseini: How I Write|Noah Charney|November 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When we went into the war we had never built a windlass for a kite balloon.
America's Munitions 1917-1918|Benedict Crowell
And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind.
The Romance of Names|Ernest Weekley
The full force of the breeze filled the kite and carried them along at not less than ten miles an hour.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The brown fish-owl (Ketupa ceylonensis) is a bird almost as large as a kite.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India|Douglas Dewar
He consented, and being admitted into the cote waited for the Kite, whom he fell upon and devoured.
Fantastic Fables|Ambrose Bierce
British Dictionary definitions for kite (1 of 2)
kite1
/ (kaɪt) /
noun
a light frame covered with a thin material flown in the wind at the end of a length of string
Britishslangan aeroplane
(plural)nauticalany of various light sails set in addition to the working sails of a vessel
any diurnal bird of prey of the genera Milvus, Elanus, etc, typically having a long forked tail and long broad wings and usually preying on small mammals and insects: family Accipitridae (hawks, etc)
archaica person who preys on others
commercea negotiable paper drawn without any actual transaction or assets and designed to obtain money on credit, give an impression of affluence, etc
fly a kite See fly 1 (def. 14)
high as a kite See high (def. 30)
verb
to issue (fictitious papers) to obtain credit or money
(tr)US and Canadianto write (a cheque) in anticipation of sufficient funds to cover it
(intr)to soar and glide
Derived forms of kite
kiter, noun
Word Origin for kite
Old English cӯta; related to Middle High German küze owl, Old Norse kӯta to quarrel