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.
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.
Note: Ply is used in composition to designate folds, or the
number of webs interwoven; as, a three-ply carpet.
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.