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.
© Webster 1913.
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.
© Webster 1913.
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.
© Webster 1913. | 
