Ply

v. t.	1.	To bend. [imp. & p. p. Plied ; p. pr. & vb. n. Plying .] 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.
v. i.	1.	To bend; to yield. 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.
n.	1.	A fold; a plait; a turn or twist, as of a cord.
	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.

Noun	1.	ply - one of the strands twisted together to make yarn or rope or thread; often used in combination; "three-ply cord"; "four-ply yarn"
	2.	ply - (usually in combinations) one of several layers of cloth or paper or wood as in plywood
Verb	1.	ply - provide what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" Synonyms: cater, provide, supply
	2.	ply - apply oneself diligently; "Ply one's trade"
	3.	ply - travel a route regularly; "Ships ply the waters near the coast" Synonyms: run
	4.	ply - wield vigorously; "ply an axe"
	5.	ply - use diligently; "ply your wits!"

(mathematics, data)

ply - 1. Of a node in a tree, the number of branches between that node and the root.

2. Of a tree, the maximum ply of any of its nodes.

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