: a light frame covered with paper, cloth, or plastic, often provided with a stabilizing tail, and designed to be flown in the air at the end of a long string
2
: any of various usually small hawks (family Accipitridae) with long narrow wings and often a notched or forked tail
3
: a person who preys on others
4
: a check drawn against uncollected funds in a bank account or fraudulently raised before cashing
5
: a light sail used in a light breeze usually in addition to the regular working sails
Noun The children were flying kites. characterized the financial advisors as kites who took advantage of their customers
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But unlike the beloved children’s book character, the cub got as high as a kite on the sweet, golden treat. María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022 The kite-flying conditions are perfect at Brenton Park State Park in Newport, which overlooks Ocean Drive. Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, 18 June 2022 In New Delhi, two brothers fall in love with the black kite. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 6 June 2022 The fields of Hamlin Park provided plenty of open space for social distancing and kids could take part in a kite-making craft or families could also bring their own kites to fly. Gina Grillo, chicagotribune.com, 8 June 2021 Splitting off from Yogev and staying on my own in the middle of Allenby, high as a kite, seems like a bad idea. Etgar Keret, The New Yorker, 20 June 2022 Free play areas allow for families and children in the neighborhood to use a large open space to kick a ball or fly a kite, Degitz explained. Molly Fellin Spence, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2022 Kids can also make and decorate a kite or draw chalk designs on the pier. Patricia Harris And David Lyon, BostonGlobe.com, 2 June 2022 The title role was danced with animated energy and earnest, good humor by Craig Freigang, including a delightful bit with a kite. Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2022
Verb
Royal Air Force pilots flying over the region in the 1920s gave the structures their name due to their kite-like shape. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2022 Keros Beach on Limnos is one of the best places to kite or windsurf in Europe. Eleni N. Gage, Travel + Leisure, 27 July 2021 Got stacks of your kid’s artwork? Clip the birthday child's creations to kite string and hang it along the walls, no tape necessary. Jamie Kiffel-alcheh, National Geographic, 26 Feb. 2020 The ecommerce giant maintains a list of restricted product categories that ranges from weapons such as firearms, to booze and tobacco products, to pets, to kite strings for the niche sport of kite fighting. Louise Matsakis, WIRED, 1 July 2019 My favorite board to kite on in all different conditions, from big waves to small, mushy waves. David Walters, Marie Claire, 24 May 2018 Here's hoping City Hosts will have a different outcome — and to consequently kite surfing in San Fran. Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, 15 Sep. 2016 After departing the White House in January, Obama has spent the last six months on a world tour, doing everything from whitewater rafting in Bali and exploring Italy to kite surfing on Richard Branson's private island. Zoë Weiner, Glamour, 4 Aug. 2017 Here's hoping City Hosts will have a different outcome — and to consequently kite surfing in San Fran. Kelsey Kloss, ELLE Decor, 15 Sep. 2016 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English cȳta; akin to Middle High German kūze owl
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2