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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ply \Ply\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Plied}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Plying}.] [OE. plien, F. plier to fold, to bend, fr. L. plicare; akin to Gr. ?, G. flechten. Cf. {Apply}, {Complex}, {Display}, {Duplicity}, {Employ}, {Exploit}, {Implicate}, {Plait}, {Pliant}, {Flax}.]
1. To bend. [Obs.]
As men may warm wax with handes plie. --Chaucer.
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 --Dryden.
He plies the duke at morning and at night. --Shak.
3. To employ diligently; to use steadily.
Go ply thy needle; meddle not. --Shak.
4. To practice or perform with diligence; to work at.
Their bloody task, unwearied, still they ply. --Waller.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ply \Ply\, verb (used without an object)
1. To bend; to yield. [Obs.]
It would rather burst atwo than plye. --Chaucer.
The willow plied, and gave way to the gust. --L'Estrange.
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). --Milton.
He was forced to ply in the streets as a porter. --Addison.
The heavy hammers and mallets plied. --Longfellow.
3. (Naut.) To work to windward; to beat.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ply \Ply\, noun [Cf. F. pli, fr. plier. See {Ply}, v.]
1. A fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord. --Arbuthnot.
2. Bent; turn; direction; bias.
The late learners can not so well take the ply. --Bacon.
Boswell, and others of Goldsmith's contemporaries, . . . did not understand the secret plies of his character. --W. Irving.
The czar's mind had taken a strange ply, which it retained to the last. --Macaulay.
Note: Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
ply
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
verb
1: provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" [syn: {provide}, {supply}, {cater}]
2: apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade"
3: travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" [syn: {run}]
4: wield vigorously; "ply an axe"
5: use diligently; "ply your wits!" [also: {plied}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
242 Moby Thesaurus words for "ply": about ship, apply pressure, back and fill, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, beat to windward, beset, besiege, blandish, boat, box off, break, bring about, bring round, bug, buttonhole, cajole, canoe, cant, cant round, carry sail, cast, cast about, change course, change the heading, circumnavigate, close-haul, coast, coat, coating, coax, collop, come about, come in contact, course, cover, covering, crease, creasing, crimp, crisp, cross, cruise, cut, deal, disk, dispense, do, do with, dog-ear, double, double a point, double over, doubling, dun, duplicature, employ, enfold, exercise, exert, exert pressure, feel, feel of, fetch about, feuille, film, finger, flap, flection, flexure, flick, flounce, flute, foil, fold, fold over, force upon, frill, function, gather, go about, go by ship, go on shipboard, go over, go to sea, gybe, handle, heave round, importune, infold, insist, interfold, jibe, jibe all standing, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, lap over, lapel, lappet, leaf, luff, luff up, make a passage, make use of, manage, maneuver, manipulate, measure, membrane, miss stays, motorboat, nag, nag at, navigate, operate, overpass, palm, palpate, pane, panel, pass over, pass through, patina, patrol, paw, peel, pellicle, perambulate, peregrinate, pererrate, pester, pinch, plague, plait, plank, plat, plate, plating, play, pleat, plica, plicate, plication, plicature, ply upon, plywood, poke at, practice, press, press upon, pressure, prod, push, push upon, put about, put back, put forth, put out, quill, range, range over, rasher, reconnoiter, round a point, row, ruche, ruching, ruff, ruffle, run, safety glass, sail, sail fine, sail round, sail the sea, scour, scour the country, scout, scull, scum, seafare, sheer, sheet, shift, skin, slab, slat, slew, slice, steam, steamboat, sweep, swerve, swing, swing round, swing the stern, table, tablet, tack, take a voyage, tap, tease, throw, throw about, thrust upon, thumb, touch, touch the wind, track, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, tuck, turn, turn back, turn over, twiddle, twill, urge, urge upon, use, utilize, veer, veneer, voyage, wafer, wear, wear ship, wheedle, wield, wind, work, work on, yacht, yaw
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
ply
1. Of a {node} in a {tree}, the number of {branches} between that node and the {root}. 2. Of a tree, the maximum ply of any of its nodes. (1998-12-29)
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