kite Meaning & Definition
What Does Kite Mean?
Kite is a noun that means A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae. It can also mean Any bird of the subfamily Milvinae, with long wings and weak legs, feeding mostly on carrion and spending long periods soaring; specifically, the red kite (Milvus milvus) and the black kite (Milvus migrans). As a verb, it means To cause (something) to move upwards rapidly like a toy kite; also to cause (something, such as costs) to increase rapidly.
Kite in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kaɪt/ |
| Plural | kites |
| Verb forms | kites, kiting, kited |
Kite Definition (Noun)
- A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae.
A pair of kites built a nest on the cliff.
- Any bird of the subfamily Milvinae, with long wings and weak legs, feeding mostly on carrion and spending long periods soaring; specifically, the red kite (Milvus milvus) and the black kite (Milvus migrans).
- A bird of the genus Elanus, having thin pointed wings, that preys on rodents and hunts by hovering; also, any bird of related genera in the subfamily Elaninae.
- Some species in the subfamily Perninae.
- A rapacious person.
- A lightweight toy or other device, traditionally flat and shaped like a triangle with a segment of a circle attached to its base or like a quadrilateral (see sense 9), carried on the wind and tethered and controlled from the ground by one or more lines.
On windy spring days, we would fly kites.
- A tethered object which deflects its position in a medium by obtaining lift and drag in reaction with its relative motion in the medium.
- A planetary configuration wherein one planet of a grand trine is in opposition to an additional fourth planet.
- A blank cheque; a fraudulent cheque, such as one issued even though there are insufficient funds to honour it, or one that has been altered without authorization.
- An accommodation bill (“a bill of exchange endorsed by a reputable third party acting as a guarantor, as a favour and without compensation”).
- A rider who is good at climbs but less good at descents.
- A polygon resembling the shape of a traditional toy kite (sense 3): a quadrilateral having two pairs of edges of equal length, the edges of each pair touching each other at one end.
- An aeroplane or aircraft.
- In a square-rigged ship: originally a sail positioned above a topsail; later a lightweight sail set above the topgallants, such as a studding sail or a jib topsail.
- A spinnaker (“supplementary sail to a mainsail”).
- The brill (Scophthalmus rhombus), a type of flatfish.
- A (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially one passed illegally into, within, or out of a prison.
Kite as a Verb
- To cause (something) to move upwards rapidly like a toy kite; also to cause (something, such as costs) to increase rapidly.
Rising interest rates have kited the cost of housing.
- To tamper with a document or record by increasing the quantity of something beyond its proper amount so that the difference may be unlawfully retained; in particular, to alter a medical prescription for this purpose by increasing the number of pills or other items.
- To keep ahead of (an enemy) and repeatedly attack it from a distance, without exposing oneself to danger.
- To attack (an enemy) or otherwise cause it to give chase, so as to lead it somewhere (like a kite is led on a string), for example into a trap or ambush or away from its comrades or something it was protecting.
I hate it when my knight is kited away from the castle that I'm attacking!
- To (cause to) glide in the manner of a kite (“bird”).
The wind kited us toward shore.
- To manipulate like a toy kite; also, usually preceded by an inflection of go: to fly a toy kite.
Want to go kite with me this weekend?
- To write or present (a cheque) on an account with insufficient funds, either to defraud or expecting that funds will become available by the time the cheque clears.
He was convicted of kiting checks and sentenced to two years in prison.
- To steal.
- To travel by kite, as when kitesurfing.
We spent the afternoon kiting around the bay.
- To move rapidly; to rush.
- To deflect sideways in the water.
- To pass a (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially illegally, into, within, or out of a prison.
Noun
- The stomach; the belly.
Noun
- A measure of weight equivalent to ⁄10 deben (about 0.32 ounces or 9.1 grams).
Synonyms of Kite
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Kite synonyms and antonyms →Kite in a Sentence
A pair of kites built a nest on the cliff.
On windy spring days, we would fly kites.
Rising interest rates have kited the cost of housing.
I hate it when my knight is kited away from the castle that I'm attacking!
The wind kited us toward shore.
Want to go kite with me this weekend?
He was convicted of kiting checks and sentenced to two years in prison.
We spent the afternoon kiting around the bay.
Word Forms & Grammar
kite (plural kites)
kite (third-person singular simple present kites, present participle kiting, simple past and past participle kited)
kite (plural kite)
Words That Rhyme With Kite
Origin of Kite
Origin 1: The noun is from Middle English kyte, kīte, kete (“a kite endemic to Europe, especially the red kite (Milvus milvus)”), from Old English cȳta (“kite; bittern”),[1][2] from Proto-West Germanic *kūtijō, diminutive of Proto-West Germanic *kūt (“bird of prey”), from Proto-Indo-European *gewH-d- (“to cry, screech”). The English word is cognate with Scots kyt, kyte (“kite; bird of prey”), Middle High German kiuzelīn, kützlīn (“owling”) (modern German Kauz (“owl”)). Possibly a doublet of coot.
Origin 2: Sense 3 (“lightweight toy”) is from the fact that it hovers in the air like the bird.[2]
Origin 3: The verb is derived from the noun.[3]
Origin 4: Uncertain; possibly:
Questions People Ask About Kite
Is kite a noun or a verb?
Kite is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of kite?
The plural of kite is kites.
What is the past tense of kite?
The past tense of kite is kited. The present participle is kiting.