ply

verb

/plaɪ/

动词形式

present simple I / you / we / they ply	/plaɪ/ /plaɪ/
he / she / it plies	/plaɪz/ /plaɪz/
past simple plied	/plaɪd/ /plaɪd/
past participle plied	/plaɪd/ /plaɪd/
-ing form plying	/ˈplaɪɪŋ/ /ˈplaɪɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

[intransitive, transitive] (literary or Indian English) (of ships, buses, etc.船、公共汽车等) to travel regularly along a particular route or between two particular places定时往来；定期行驶
- + adv./prep. Ferries ply across a narrow strait to the island.渡船定时穿越狭窄的海峡驶向海岛。
- The train plies twice a day between Paris and Madrid.这列火车每天往返巴黎和马德里两次。
- Buses ply regularly to and from these places.公交车定时往返于这些地方。
- ply something canals plied by gondolas and steam boats有小划船和蒸汽船往来的运河
- ships plying the route between Tripoli and Malta往来于的黎波里和马耳他之间的船只
[transitive] ply something (formal) to use a tool, especially with skill（娴熟地）使用
- The tailor delicately plied his needle.裁缝精巧地飞针走线。

词源verb late Middle English: shortening of apply.

Idioms

ply for hire/trade/business

(British English) to look for customers, passengers, etc. in order to do business招徕顾客；等生意
- taxis plying for hire outside the theatre在剧院外招揽乘客的出租车

ply your trade

to do your work or business从事工作；做事
- This is the restaurant where he plied his trade as a cook.这是他做厨师的那家餐厅。
- Drug dealers openly plied their trade in front of children.毒贩在儿童面前公开进行交易。

noun

/plaɪ/

[uncountable] especially in compounds尤用于构成复合词

a measurement of wool, rope, wood, etc. that tells you how thick it is（毛线、绳子、木板等的计量单位）股，层，厚
- four-ply knitting yarn四股毛线
词源noun late Middle English (in the sense ‘fold’): from French pli ‘fold’, from the verb plier, from Latin plicare ‘to fold’.