ply

A layer of material.countableuncountable

• two-ply toilet paper

A strand that, twisted together with other strands, makes up rope or yarn.countableuncountable

• To make the hail rod a rope of straw is the first thing necessary; it must be made of ripe wheat straw, soaked and twisted, plaited with three strand and then with four ply, making twelve strand to the rope.

Clipping of plywood.abbreviationalt-ofclipping

• The compartment ceiling panels are of plastic material backed with ply or hardboard panels.

In two-player sequential games, a "half-turn" or a move made by one of the players.countableuncountable

• He proposed to build Deep Purple, a super-computer capable of 24-ply look-ahead for chess.

A condition, a state.Scotlandcountableuncountable

• You may be ſure, in the ply I was now taking, I had no objection to the propoſal, and was rather a tiptoe for its accompliſhment.

To bend; to fold; to mould; (figuratively) to adapt, to modify; to change (a person's) mind, to cause (a person) to submit.obsoletetransitive

• And now when at length the Vineyard has ſhed its late Leaves, and the cold Northwind ſhook from the Groves their Honours; even then the active Swain extends his Cares to the enſuing Year, and cloſe plys the deſolate forſaken Vine, cutting o

To bend, to flex; to be bent by something, to give way or yield (to a force, etc.).intransitive

• The Oak Upbraided the Willow, that it was Weak and Wavering, and gave way to Every Blaſt. […] Some very little while after This Diſpute, it Blew a Violent Storm. The Willow Ply’d, and gave way to the Guſt, and ſtill recover’d it ſelf again,

To work at (something) diligently.transitive

• He plied his trade as carpenter for forty-three years.

To wield or use (a tool, a weapon, etc.) steadily or vigorously.transitive

• He plied his ax with bloody results.

To press upon; to urge persistently.transitive

• to ply someone with questions or solicitations

To persist in offering something to, especially for the purpose of inducement or persuasion.transitive

• to ply someone with drink

To travel over (a route) regularly.ambitransitive

• to ply the seven seas
• The steamer plies between several ports on the coast.

To work diligently.intransitiveobsolete

• […] Ere halfe theſe Authors be read, which will ſoon be with plying hard, and dayly, they cannot chooſe but be maſters of any ordinary proſe.
• He was afterwards reduced to great want, and forced to think of plying in the streets as a porter for his livelihood.

To manoeuvre a sailing vessel so that the direction of the wind changes from one side of the vessel to the other; to work to windward, to beat, to tack.intransitiveobsolete

• Weighed anchor about five morn, and plied till about noon, and then anchored. This day, at morn, went about the general to council: the result was, the fleet should ply near, as with convenience, to the Texel, to prevent a conjunction of th

A bent; a direction.