ply
pronunciation
How to pronounce ply in British English:
UK [plaɪ]
How to pronounce ply in American English:
US [plaɪ]
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- Noun:
- one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination
- (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood
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- Verb:
- provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
- apply oneself diligently
- travel a route regularly
- wield vigorously
- use diligently
Word Origin
- ply
- ply: English has two distinct words ply, although ultimately they are related. The one meaning ‘fold, twist, layer’ [14], now mainly found in plywood [20] and in combinations such as twoply and three-ply, comes from Old French pli, a derivative of the verb plier ‘bend, fold’ (source of English apply [14], pliable [15], pliant [14], pliers [16], and reply).This went back to Latin plicāre ‘fold’, a relative of English fold and source of accomplice, complicate [17], employ, explicit, imply, pleat, plight ‘predicament’, and supplicate. It was formed from a base that also produced English perplex [16] and the final syllables of simple and supple. The apple pie of apple-pie bed [18] is thought to be an alteration of French nappe pliée ‘folded sheet’. Ply ‘travel a route regularly’ or ‘solicit’ (as in ‘ply for hire’) [14] is short for apply, a relative of ply ‘fold’, and originally meant ‘apply, employ’ (as in ‘ply one’s needle’).=> accomplice, apply, complicate, comply, double, employ, explicit, fold, imply, perplex, pleat, pliable, pliers, plight, reply, simple, supple, supplicate
- ply (v.1)
- "work with, use," late 14c., shortened form of applien "join to, apply" (see apply). The core of this is Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist," from PIE root *plek- "to plait, twist" (cognates: Greek plekein "to plait, twine," plektos "twisted;" Latin plectere (past participle plexus) "to plait, braid, intertwine;" Old Church Slavonic plesti "to braid, plait, twist;" Gothic flahta "braid;" Old English fleax "cloth made with flax, linen"). Sense of "travel regularly" is first 1803, perhaps from earlier sense "steer a course" (1550s). Related: Plied; plies; plying.
- ply (n.)
- "a layer, a fold" 1530s, from Middle French pli "a fold" (13c.), alteration of Old French ploi "fold, pleat, layer" (12c.), verbal noun from ployer (later pleier) "to bend, to fold," from Latin plicare "to fold, lay" see ply (v.1)). This is the ply in plywood.
- ply (v.2)
- "to bend," late 14c., plien, from Old French plier, earlier pleier "to fold, bend," from Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist" (see ply (v.1)). Related: Plied; plies; plying.
Example
- 1. Big vehicles like the chevrolet suburban and nissan armada still ply u.s. highways — though in smaller numbers .
- 2. At each ply , the " turn " switches to the other player .
- 3. Buses ply between the two cities .
- 4. High-speed trains regularly ply between paris and lyons .
- 5. The ships ply between glasgow and new york .