Ply

Ply, v. t. [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.

Ply, v. i. 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.

Ply, n. [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.

☞ Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.