Ply

Noun

 * 1)  State, condition.
 * 2) *1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, Penguin 1985, p. 66:
 * You may be sure, in the ply I was now taking, I had no objection to the proposal, and was rather a-tiptoe for its accomplishment.
 * 1) A layer of material. (two-ply toilet paper)
 * 2)  Plywood.
 * 3)  In two-player sequential games, a "half-turn", or one move made by one of the players.
 * He proposed to build 'Deep Purple' a super-computer capable of 24-ply look-ahead for chess.

Verb

 * 1)  to bend; to fold.
 * 2)  to flex.

Derived terms

 * plier (agent noun)
 * pliers

Verb

 * 1)  To work at diligently.
 * He plied his trade as carpenter for forty-three years.
 * 1)  To use vigorously.
 * He plied his ax with bloody results.
 * 1)  To travel over regularly.
 * ply the seven seas
 * 1)  To persist in offering.
 * She plied him with liquor.

Adverbs for Ply
industriously; constantly; intermittently; diligently; vigorously; ambitiously; unwearied-ly; indefatigably.

Thesaurus
about ship, apply pressure, back and fill, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, beat to windward, beset, besiege, blandish, boat, box off, break, bring about, bring round, bug, buttonhole, cajole, canoe, cant, cant round, carry sail, cast, cast about, change course, change the heading, circumnavigate, close-haul, coast, coat, coating, coax, collop, come about, come in contact, course, cover, covering, crease, creasing, crimp, crisp, cross, cruise, cut, deal, disk, dispense, do, do with, dog-ear, double, double a point, double over, doubling, dun, duplicature, employ, enfold, exercise, exert, exert pressure, feel, feel of, fetch about, feuille, film, finger, flap, flection, flexure, flick, flounce, flute, foil, fold, fold over, force upon, frill, function, gather, go about, go by ship, go on shipboard, go over, go to sea, gybe, handle, heave round, importune, infold, insist, interfold, jibe, jibe all standing, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, lap over, lapel, lappet, leaf, luff, luff up, make a passage, make use of, manage, maneuver, manipulate, measure, membrane, miss stays, motorboat, nag, nag at, navigate, operate, overpass, palm, palpate, pane, panel, pass over, pass through, patina, patrol, paw, peel, pellicle, perambulate, peregrinate, pererrate, pester, pinch, plague, plait, plank, plat, plate, plating, play, pleat, plica, plicate, plication, plicature, ply upon, plywood, poke at, practice, press, press upon, pressure, prod, push, push upon, put about, put back, put forth, put out, quill, range, range over, rasher, reconnoiter, round a point, row, ruche, ruching, ruff, ruffle, run, safety glass, sail, sail fine, sail round, sail the sea, scour, scour the country, scout, scull, scum, seafare, sheer, sheet, shift, skin, slab, slat, slew, slice, steam, steamboat, sweep, swerve, swing, swing round, swing the stern, table, tablet, tack, take a voyage, tap, tease, throw, throw about, thrust upon, thumb, touch, touch the wind, track, transit, travel over, travel through, traverse, tuck, turn, turn back, turn over, twiddle, twill, urge, urge upon, use, utilize, veer, veneer, voyage, wafer, wear, wear ship, wheedle, wield, wind, work, work on, yacht, yaw

Etymology 1
From, from pli:, from plier:, from  plico:

Etymology 2
From plien:, from  plier:, see Etymololgy 1.

Etymology 3
From plien:, short for applien: