Plies

[plee-ey] /pliˈeɪ/

noun, plural pliés
[plee-eyz; French plee-ey] /pliˈeɪz; French pliˈeɪ/ (Show IPA). Ballet.
1.
a movement in which the knees are bent while the back is held straight.
[plahy] /plaɪ/
verb (used with object), plied, plying.
1.
to work with or at diligently; employ busily; use:
to ply the needle.
2.
to carry on, practice, or pursue busily or steadily:
to ply a trade.
3.
to treat with or apply to (something) repeatedly (often followed by with):
to ply a fire with fresh fuel.
4.
to assail persistently:
to ply horses with a whip.
5.
to supply with or offer something pressingly to:
to ply a person with drink.
6.
to address (someone) persistently or importunately, as with questions, solicitations, etc.; importune.
7.
to pass over or along (a river, stream, etc.) steadily or on a regular basis:
boats that ply the Mississippi.
verb (used without object), plied, plying.
8.
to run or travel regularly over a fixed course or between certain places, as a boat, bus, etc.
9.
to perform one’s work or office busily or steadily:
to ply with the oars; to ply at a trade.
[plahy] /plaɪ/
noun, plural plies.
1.
a thickness or layer.
2.
Automotive. a layer of reinforcing fabric for a tire.
3.
a unit of yarn:
single ply.
4.
one of the sheets of veneer that are glued together to make .
5.
Informal. .
6.
bent, bias, or inclination.
verb (used with object), plied, plying.
7.
British Dialect. to bend, fold, or mold.
verb (used without object), plied, plying.
8.
Obsolete. to bend, incline, or yield.
/ˈpliːeɪ/
noun
1.
a classic ballet practice posture with back erect and knees bent
/plaɪ/
verb (mainly transitive) plies, plying, plied
1.
to carry on, pursue, or work at (a job, trade, etc)
2.
to manipulate or wield (a tool)
3.
to sell (goods, wares, etc), esp at a regular place
4.
(usually foll by with) to provide (with) or subject (to) repeatedly or persistently: he plied us with drink the whole evening, to ply a horse with a whip, he plied the speaker with questions
5.
(intransitive) to perform or work steadily or diligently: to ply with a spade
6.
(also intransitive) (esp of a ship) to travel regularly along (a route) or in (an area): to ply between Dover and Calais, to ply the trade routes
/plaɪ/
noun (pl) plies
1.

2.
a thin sheet of wood glued to other similar sheets to form plywood
3.
one of the strands twisted together to make rope, yarn, etc
verb (transitive)
4.
to twist together (two or more single strands) to make yarn
n.

in ballet, 1892, from French plié, from plier literally “to bend,” from Old French ploier (see ply (n.)).
v.

“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” (cf. 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.

“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.
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.