kite
Americannoun
-
a light frame covered with some thin material, to be flown in the wind at the end of a long string.
-
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.
-
Nautical. flying kite.
-
Finance.
-
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.
-
a check whose amount has been raised by forgery before cashing.
-
-
a person who preys on others; sharper.
verb (used without object)
-
Informal. to fly or move with a rapid or easy motion like that of a kite.
-
to obtain money or credit through kites.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a light frame covered with a thin material flown in the wind at the end of a length of string
-
slang an aeroplane
-
(plural) nautical any of various light sails set in addition to the working sails of a vessel
-
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)
-
archaic a person who preys on others
-
commerce a negotiable paper drawn without any actual transaction or assets and designed to obtain money on credit, give an impression of affluence, etc
-
See fly 1
-
See high
verb
-
to issue (fictitious papers) to obtain credit or money
-
(tr) to write (a cheque) in anticipation of sufficient funds to cover it
-
(intr) to soar and glide
noun
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing kite
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Novel Study: Things Fall Apart, Part 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Tragedy of Hamlet," Vocabulary from Act 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
The staff at Clockshop gave us a few kite designs they suggested we consider.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026
You want to have between 50 to 100 feet of string for the kite.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2026
Every now and then a kite would swoop down over the waterfowls’ nests, causing a commotion as the parents tried to protect their hatchlings.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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
As the afternoon wears on, the wind begins to fade and the kites slowly drift back to earth.
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
The vultures share their new home with a resident pair of black kites, who live alongside them just as they would in the wild.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Soon, the cutting started and the first of the defeated kites whirled out of control.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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
An AAA processing tax kited it to 21¢ per lb.
From Time Magazine Archive
Thirty years ago he first tried the Sunday supplement idea with a company called Associated Sunday Magazines, but it failed miserably for various reasons when the War kited the cost of newsprint.
From Time Magazine Archive
When the breeze blew, the lines would strain taut and some accident of this pull kited the bead and chest upright so that the figure seemed to peer across the brow of the mountain.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
In 1994, Moore went to France as part of a seven-week European kiting tour.
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
But otherwise he consistently skirts the sublime, whether in the oceanic washes of Open Up Your Door, Tonight the Streets Are Ours' breezy hula, or hallucinogenic kiting tune Don't Stare At The Sun.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 15, 2013
He sent the 190 kiting along the tops of the waves and away inland.
From A Yankee Flier in Italy by Montgomery, Rutherford George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
