ply
verbVerb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they ply | |
| he / she / it plies | |
| past simple plied | |
| past participle plied | |
| -ing form plying |
- [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
- + adv./prep.
- [transitive] ply something (formal)
to use a tool, especially with skill （娴熟地）使用
Word Originverb 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。