Link Centre Dictionary

ply

US/plaɪ/ uncommon obsolete
verb (5) noun (2)

verb

1.

provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance

  • “The hostess provided lunch for all the guests”
Synonyms
2.

apply oneself diligently

  • “Ply one”
3.

travel a route regularly

  • “Ships ply the waters near the coast”
Synonyms
4.

wield vigorously

  • “ply an axe”
5.

use diligently

  • “ply your wits!”

noun

1.

one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination

  • “three-ply cord”
  • “four-ply yarn”
2.

(usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood

Origin

From Middle English plīen, pli, plie (“to bend, fold, mould, shape; to be flexible; to be submissive, humble oneself; to compel someone to submit”), from Anglo-Norman plier, plaier, pleier, ploier, and Middle French plier, ployer (“to bend, fold; to be submissive; to compel someone to submit”) (modern French plier, ployer), from Old French ploiier, pleier (“to fold”), from Latin plicāre (“to fold”); see further at etymology 1. The word is cognate with Catalan plegar (“to bend, fold”), Italian piegare (“to bend, fold, fold up”), Old Occitan plegar, plejar, pleyar (“to fold”) (modern Occitan plegar), Spanish plegar (“to fold”).

Phrases

  • single-ply membrane
  • single-ply roof

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.