What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Ply vs Poy - What's the difference?

ply | poy |

As nouns the difference between ply and poy

is that ply is a layer of material while poy is a support structure.

As a verb ply

is to or ply can be to ly.

ply

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) .

Noun

(plies)
  • A layer of material.
  • A strand that, twisted together with other strands, makes up yarn or rope.
  • (colloquial) Plywood.
  • (artificial intelligence, game theory) 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.
  • State, condition.
  • * 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.
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) , see Etymololgy 1.

    Verb

  • to .
  • * L'Estrange
  • The willow plied , and gave way to the gust.
  • to .
  • Derived terms
    * plier (agent noun) * pliers

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl)

    Verb

  • To ly.
  • He plied his trade as carpenter for forty-three years.
  • * Waller
  • Their bloody task, unwearied, still they ply .
  • To work diligently.
  • * Milton
  • Ere half these authors be read (which will soon be with plying hard and daily).
  • * Addison
  • He was forced to ply in the streets as a porter.
  • To vigorously.
  • He plied his ax with bloody results.
  • To ly.
  • ply the seven seas
    A steamer plies between certain ports.
  • To in offering.
  • * 1929 , , Chapter VII, Section vi
  • Esther began to cry. But when the fire had been lit specially to warm her chilled limbs and Adela had plied her with hot negus she began to feel rather a heroine.
    She plied him with liquor.
  • To press upon; to urge importunately.
  • to ply one with questions, with solicitations, or with drink
  • * Shakespeare
  • He plies the duke at morning and at night.
  • To employ diligently; to use steadily.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Go ply thy needle; meddle not.
  • (nautical) To work to windward; to beat.
  • poy

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a support structure.
  • a balancing pole used by rope dancers
  • a long pole, normally with a hook, used to push barges upstream.