Showing results for "kite"

• a variation of kyte.

kite

American  

[kahyt] / kaɪt /

noun

• kites
  plural

1. a light frame covered with some thin material, to be flown in the wind at the end of a long string.

2. any of several small birds of the hawk family Accipitridae that have long, pointed wings, feed on insects, carrion, reptiles, rodents, and birds, and are noted for their graceful, gliding flight.

3. Nautical. flying kite.

4. Finance.

   1. a check drawn against uncollected or insufficient funds, as for redepositing, with the intention of creating a false balance in the account by taking advantage of the time lapse required for collection.

   2. a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.

5. a person who preys on others; sharper.

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verb (used without object)

kited, kiting

1. Informal. to fly or move with a rapid or easy motion like that of a kite.

2. to obtain money or credit through kites.

verb (used with object)

kited, kiting

1. to employ (a check or the like) as a kite; to cash or pass (a kite, forged check, etc.).

kite ¹ British  

/ kaɪt /

noun

1. a light frame covered with a thin material flown in the wind at the end of a length of string

2. slang an aeroplane

3. (plural) nautical any of various light sails set in addition to the working sails of a vessel

4. any diurnal bird of prey of the genera Milvus, Elanus, etc, typically having a long forked tail and long broad wings and usually preying on small mammals and insects: family Accipitridae (hawks, etc)

5. archaic a person who preys on others

6. commerce a negotiable paper drawn without any actual transaction or assets and designed to obtain money on credit, give an impression of affluence, etc

7. See fly 1

8. See high

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verb

1. to issue (fictitious papers) to obtain credit or money

2. (tr) to write (a cheque) in anticipation of sufficient funds to cover it

3. (intr) to soar and glide

kite ² British  

/ kəɪt /

noun

1. a variant spelling of kyte

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kite Idioms  

1. see go fly a kite; high as a kite.

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Usage

What else does kite mean? In prison slang, a kite is a message or note. Historically, kites were contraband notes passed between prisoners or smuggled out of prison.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kiter
  noun
• kitelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kites
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kite

First recorded before 900 kite for def. 2; 1655–65 kite for def. 1; Middle English kyte, Old English cȳta “kite, bittern”; akin to German Kauz “owl”

Explanation

A kite is a diamond-shaped flying toy on a string that's usually made of fabric or paper. If someone tells you "to go fly a kite," they want to get rid of you. If you follow their directions, however, you will end up having fun. When you fly a kite, you unspool your string as the kite catches a breeze and rises higher and higher in the air. Kites were first flown in China, most likely around the fifth century BCE. Another kind of kite is the small hawk famous in ancient Egyptian mythology as the animal form taken by Isis when she brought the dead back to life. The toy kite is named after the bird, since they both soar through the air.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kite kites kited kiting

She has a degree in mechanical engineering, and has previously worked as a guide at Everest basecamp, scaled mountain summits and set altitude kite surfing records.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Every summer since 2009, residents have gathered on this hill for a kite festival, held on land they say has been partly lost after being confiscated by settlers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Davies said fledglings would "glide like a kite" once they lost their fluff and got their primary feathers, and were shown the ropes by the older generation.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

I asked Yaeun Stevie Choi, an L.A.-based artist and kite maker, what some common reasons kites fail were.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026

Kyle recognized only one of the projected images—a greenish bald guy wearing bifocals and pants cut off at the knees and tugging on a kite string.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

As the afternoon wears on, the wind begins to fade and the kites slowly drift back to earth.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

As brightly coloured kites climb above Burin, a Palestinian village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, children race across a sun-baked hillside, watching their creations soar into the sky.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

My wildlife checklist grew: red kites, black-winged kites, common buzzards, golden eagles, Spanish imperial eagles, a goshawk, three types of owl, two kinds of vulture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

Choi estimated that around six of their first kites failed.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026

We strolled along the walkway between the road and the beach, past pushcarts piled high with corn and peanuts and hawkers selling multicolored plastic balls and cricket bats, flimsy kites, toys, dolls, pinwheels.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

And then he saw Moss in single coverage and kited that beautiful touchdown pass to put the Redskins ahead again.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2012

When he pocketed the kited check after Cooper discovered it, I thought for a moment that he might take pity on his fellow partner.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2012

Stopping only to point their arguments with this timely evidence, the witnesses kited for Binghamton.

From Time Magazine Archive

He also claimed that he had kited the ratings of four programs, notably last February's CBS special An Evening with Carol Charining.*

From Time Magazine Archive

A single hawk, its wingtips spread like black fingers, kited over the school, and suddenly I saw something: a gift.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli

Moore had been right about the sport-kite business: he soon opened six stores in Missouri and Kansas, advertising in Stunt Kite Quarterly and other new publications devoted to the sport of kiting.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 13, 2019

Kite clubs around Seattle and Whidbey Island can help you get involved in group events — or check our list of top kiting spots and go solo.

From Seattle Times ● May 4, 2016

In the early 1990’s, Bankers Trust Company suspected that Madoff and a friend of his named Norman Levy had been kiting checks.

From Forbes ● Sep. 26, 2014

Lane wants to avoid the inevitable exposure of his glorified check kiting, and is ready to barter Mrs. Harris in the process.

From Slate ● May 29, 2012

I got what things he needed, however, and went kiting home again.

From The Prairie Wife by Dunn, Harvey

Related Words

• answer
• memo
• memorandum
• message
• note
• postcard
• reply
• report