HOW TO PRONOUNCE
kite
/kaɪt/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does kite mean?
noun
- A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae.
- 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.
More meanings (30)
noun
- Some species in the subfamily Perninae.
- (figuratively) 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.
- 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.
- (slang) 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.
- (slang) An accommodation bill (“a bill of exchange endorsed by a reputable third party acting as a guarantor, as a favour and without compensation”).
- (slang) 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.
- (slang) An aeroplane or aircraft.
- (slang) A spinnaker (“supplementary sail to a mainsail”).
- The brill (Scophthalmus rhombus), a type of flatfish.
- (slang) A (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially one passed illegally into, within, or out of a prison.
- The stomach; the belly.
- A measure of weight equivalent to ¹⁄₁₀ deben (about 0.32 ounces or 9.1 grams).
- (dated) 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.
verb
- To cause (something) to move upwards rapidly like a toy kite; also (chiefly US, figuratively) to cause (something, such as costs) to increase rapidly.
- (slang) 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.
- To (cause to) glide in the manner of a kite (“bird”).
- (slang) 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.
- (slang) To steal.
- To travel by kite, as when kitesurfing.
- (figuratively) To move rapidly; to rush.
- To deflect sideways in the water.
- (slang) To pass a (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially illegally, into, within, or out of a prison.
- (rare) To manipulate like a toy kite; also, usually preceded by an inflection of go: to fly a toy kite.
proper noun
- A surname.
- A minor city in Johnson County, Georgia, United States, named after Shaderick Kight, who chose the spelling.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/kaɪt/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
“Michael’s kite,” Peter said without interest, but next moment he had seized the tail, and was pulling the kite toward him.
For democracy belongs to us all, and freedom is like a beautiful kite that can go higher and higher with the breeze.
More book examples (3)
To dream of flying a kite, denotes a great show of wealth, or business, but with little true soundness to it all.
Franklin first robbed the thundercloud of its lightning by means of a kite made with two cross sticks and a silk handkerchief.
Who finds the partridge in the puttock’s nest But may imagine how the bird was dead, Although the kite soar with unbloodied beak?