kite
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.: Compare black kite, swallow-tailed kite, white-tailed kite.
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.
Informal. to fly or move with a rapid or easy motion like that of a kite.
to obtain money or credit through kites.
to employ (a check or the like) as a kite; to cash or pass (a kite, forged check, etc.).
Origin of kite
1Other words from kite
- kiter, noun
- kitelike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use kite in a sentence
The voice kited up to a shriek of agony, like that of a wounded animal.
Deadly City | Paul W. FairmanNothing that fifteen to twenty grand wouldn't have fixed—but while I scrounged around, trying to get cash, I kited a few checks.
Back to Julie | Richard WilsonThose who have kited and driven, tell me that driving disturbs and unsettles the birds far more than the kite.
Twenty-Six Years Reminiscences of Scotch Grouse Moors | William Alexander Adams
British Dictionary definitions for kite (1 of 2)
/ (kaɪt) /
a light frame covered with a thin material flown in the wind at the end of a length of string
British 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
fly a kite See fly 1 (def. 14)
high as a kite See high (def. 30)
to issue (fictitious papers) to obtain credit or money
(tr) US and Canadian to write (a cheque) in anticipation of sufficient funds to cover it
(intr) to soar and glide
Origin of kite
1Derived forms of kite
- kiter, noun
British Dictionary definitions for kite (2 of 2)
/ (kəɪt) /
a variant spelling of kyte
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with kite
see go fly a kite; high as a kite.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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