What does ply mean?
Definitions for ply
plaɪply
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ply.
Princeton's WordNet
plynoun
one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination
"three-ply cord"; "four-ply yarn"
plyverb
(usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood
provide, supply, ply, caterverb
give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
"The hostess provided lunch for all the guests"
plyverb
apply oneself diligently
"Ply one's trade"
ply, runverb
travel a route regularly
"Ships ply the waters near the coast"
plyverb
join together as by twisting, weaving, or molding
"ply fabric"
plyverb
wield vigorously
"ply an axe"
plyverb
use diligently
"ply your wits!"
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Plynoun
Etymology: from the verb.
The late learners cannot so well take the ply, except it be in some minds that have not suffered themselves to fix, but have kept themselves open and prepared to receive continual amendment. Francis Bacon, Essays.
The rugæ or plies of the inward coat of the stomach detain the aliment in the stomach. John Arbuthnot, on Aliments.
To Plyverb
Etymology: plien, to work at any thing, old Dutch. Junius and
The savage raves, impatient of the wound,
The wound’s great author close at hand provokes
His rage, and plies him with redoubled strokes. Dryden.The hero from afar
Plies him with darts and stones; and distant war. Dryden.Her gentle wit she plies
To teach them truth. Fairy Queen.Keep house, and ply his book, welcome his friends,
Visit his countrymen, and banquet them. William Shakespeare.They their legs ply’d, not staying
Until they reach’d the fatal champain. Hudibras.He who exerts all the faculties of his soul, and plies all means and opportunities in the search of truth, may rest upon the judgment of his conscience so informed, as a warrantable guide. Robert South, Sermons.
The weary Trojans ply their shatter’d oars
To nearest land. John Dryden, Virgil.I have plied my needle these fifty years, and by my good will would never have it out of my hand. Spectator.
He sternly bad him other business ply. Edmund Spenser.
Then commune how they best may ply
Their growing work. John Milton.Their bloody task, unweary’d still, they ply. Edmund Waller.
He plies her hard, and much rain wears the marble. Sha.
He plies the duke at morning and at night,
And doth impeach the freedom of the state,
If they deny him justice. William Shakespeare, Merch. of Venice.Whosoever has any thing of David’s piety will be perpetually plying the throne of grace with such like acknowledgments: as, blessed be that providence, which delivered me from such a lewd company. Robert South, Sermons.
To Plyverb
He was forced to ply in the streets as a porter for his livelihood. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 94.
Thither he plies undaunted. John Milton.
A bird new-made about the banks she plies,
Not far from shore, and short excursions tries. Dryden.The willow plied and gave way to the gust, and still recovered itself again, but the oak was stubborn, and chose rather to break than bend. Roger L'Estrange.
Wikipedia
ply
PLY is a computer file format known as the Polygon File Format or the Stanford Triangle Format. It was principally designed to store three-dimensional data from 3D scanners. The data storage format supports a relatively simple description of a single object as a list of nominally flat polygons. A variety of properties can be stored, including color and transparency, surface normals, texture coordinates and data confidence values. The format permits one to have different properties for the front and back of a polygon. There are two versions of the file format, one in ASCII, the other in binary.
ChatGPT
ply
Ply refers to a layer or strand of a material, often referring to fabrics, wood, or yarn. In more specific terms, it can indicate the thickness or number of layers in a particular material or object, such as plywood, which consists of several layers, or two-ply tissues. In general, higher ply count is often associated with greater strength or thickness.
Webster Dictionary
Plyverb
to bend
Plyverb
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
Plyverb
to employ diligently; to use steadily
Plyverb
to practice or perform with diligence; to work at
Plyverb
to bend; to yield
Plyverb
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
Plyverb
to work to windward; to beat
Ply
a fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord
Ply
bent; turn; direction; bias
Etymology: [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.]
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Ply
plī, v.t. to work at steadily: to use diligently: to urge: to address with importunity.—v.i. to work steadily: to go in haste: to make regular passages, as a boat, between two ports: (naut.) to make way against the wind:—pa.t. and pa.p. plied.—n. a fold: bent: direction.—n. Ply′er. [O. Fr. plier, to fold—L. plicāre, to bend.]
Suggested Resources
PLY
What does PLY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the PLY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
PLY
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ply is ranked #61745 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Ply surname appeared 325 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Ply.
91.3% or 297 total occurrences were White.
4% or 13 total occurrences were Asian.
1.8% or 6 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of ply in Chaldean Numerology is: 3
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of ply in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
Examples of ply in a Sentence
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:
Thousands of Japanese ships ply those waters every year including vessels carrying nine tenths of our oil. It is Japan's lifeline.
We need to be wearing at least a three-ply surgical mask, you can wear a cloth mask on top of that, but do not just wear a cloth mask alone.
There are many ex-graduates who came from Camborne, actually trained at South Crofty, and now ply their trade around the world, but many of them still live in Cornwall and I'm sure many of them would like to come back and work at South Crofty rather than travel internationally.
I'm scared to ply the trade on the street.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for ply
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
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