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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Plied

Plied \Plied\, imp. & p. p. of Ply.

Plied

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.

Wiktionary
plied

vb. (en-pastply)

WordNet
ply
  1. n. one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination; "three-ply cord"; "four-ply yarn"

  2. (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood

  3. v. provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" [syn: provide, supply, cater]

  4. apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade"

  5. travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" [syn: run]

  6. wield vigorously; "ply an axe"

  7. use diligently; "ply your wits!"

  8. [also: plied]

plied

See ply

Wikipedia
Plied

Usage examples of "plied".

Polly Treherne, the daughter of a bumboat-woman who plied her trade in Portsmouth Harbour.

The boats pulled rapidly towards it, and the harpooners plied it with their lances.

How eagerly all of us plied the old fellow for news, though as he was a man of few words it was with difficulty that the captain or mates could pump much out of him.

His hand pushed aside her unfettered hair and plied a course down her back.

Drawing him to her, she leaned back to the pillows and plied her legs around his hips, her motions inciting him.

At Gudvangen, Jake took her to the hotel on the small waterfront and plied her with hot coffee before they took to the road.

As he plied me with questions, his words swept gently over me and I relaxed until I was aware of nothing in the room at all except his voice, and the gentleness of expression in his eyes.

For it was on Olympus, and Matthew was servant to the gods, who plied him with all manner of food and wine until he was drunk and silly.

Upon that generous-rounding side, With gullies scarified Where keen Neglect his lash hath plied, Dwelt one I knew of old, who played at toil, And gave to coquette Cotton soul and soil.

He shivered finally and threaded his way back to the wheelhouse, climbed the steps to that scant shelter, where Amos plied the wheel.

Downriver sandbars showed where fall had seen the river high above them, and the riverboats, half-loaded, still plied the middle of the channel with greatest care.

Armed crews by lanternlight, in all weather, plied the roads between the blasting area from which they took the stone, and carried the loads that daylight crews would move to more precise location.

All the women with any knowledge of the art of healing hurried to the scene and plied him with ointments.

While Jedit and Hestia pondered, Johan plied his conjuring crystal like a spider plucking the strands of its web.

Shuffling sideways, he plied his crushing mandibles to snip the next bar and the next.