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Ply   /plaɪ/   Listen
verb
Ply  v. t.  (past & past part. plied; pres. part. plying)  
1.
To bend. (Obs.) "As men may warm wax with handes plie."
2.
To lay on closely, or in folds; to work upon steadily, or with repeated acts; to press upon; to urge importunately; as, to ply one with questions, with solicitations, or with drink. "And plies him with redoubled strokes" "He plies the duke at morning and at night."
3.
To employ diligently; to use steadily. "Go ply thy needle; meddle not."
4.
To practice or perform with diligence; to work at. "Their bloody task, unwearied, still they ply."



Ply  v. i.  
1.
To bend; to yield. (Obs.) "It would rather burst atwo than plye." "The willow plied, and gave way to the gust."
2.
To act, go, or work diligently and steadily; especially, to do something by repeated actions; to go back and forth; as, a steamer plies between certain ports. "Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with plying hard and daily)." "He was forced to ply in the streets as a porter." "The heavy hammers and mallets plied."
3.
(Naut.) To work to windward; to beat.



noun
Ply  n.  
1.
A fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord.
2.
Bent; turn; direction; bias. "The late learners can not so well take the ply." "Boswell, and others of Goldsmith's contemporaries,... did not understand the secret plies of his character." "The czar's mind had taken a strange ply, which it retained to the last." Note: Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Ply" Quotes from Famous Books



... all this, I find no intimation of pardon to my soul? Ans. As this should serve to keep thee humble, so it should excite to more diligence, in this duty of going with thy sins to Christ, and to ply him and his cross more, in and through the promises, and keep thy soul constant in this duty of the running to Christ, as an all-sufficient Mediator, and as an intercessor with the Father; and thus wait on him waiteth to be gracious, ...
— Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life • John Brown (of Wamphray)

... than the magpies flew away, filling all the heavens with their chatter. The weeping wife and lover-husband stood for a long time wistfully gazing at each other from afar. Then they separated, the one to lead his ox, the other to ply her shuttle during the long hours of the day with diligent toil. Thus they filled the hours, and the sun-king again rejoiced ...
— Japanese Fairy World - Stories from the Wonder-Lore of Japan • William Elliot Griffis

... education; which is, in effect, but an early custom. So we see, in languages, the tongue is more pliant to all expressions and sounds, the joints are more supple, to all feats of activity and motions, in youth than afterwards. For it is true, that late learners cannot so well take the ply; 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. But if the force of custom simple and separate, be great, ...
— Essays - The Essays Or Counsels, Civil And Moral, Of Francis Ld. - Verulam Viscount St. Albans • Francis Bacon

... mill on the spot where the stove foundry now stands in the same village. Robert Saunderson's forge would have been blazing at Mechanics beside John Cooper's corn mill, and Balcom's machine shop in active operation where R. Wolfenden's sons now ply the trade of dyers. Hebronville also would then, as now, have greeted the visitor with the music of swift shuttles and whirling spindles, as he passed on to the end of his tour of inspection at Kent's grist mill, the ...
— The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, January 1886 - Bay State Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, January, 1886 • Various

... time when leaves grow green, and flowers are fresh and gay, Robin Hood and his merry men were all disposed to play. Thus runs a quaint old ballad which begins the next adventure. Then some would leap and some would run and some try archery and some ply the quarter-staff and some fall to with the good broad sword. Some again would try a round at buffet and fisticuff; and thus by every variety of sport and exercise they perfected themselves in skill and made the band and its prowess well ...
— Robin Hood • J. Walker McSpadden


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