kite [kitekiteskitedkiting] noun, verb BrE [kaɪt] NAmE [kaɪt] noun 1. a toy made of a light frame covered with paper, cloth, etc, that you fly in the air at the end of one or more long strings •to fly a kite 2. a ↑bird of prey (= a bird that kills other creatures for food) of the ↑hawk family see fly a kite at ↑flyv., high as a kite at ↑highadj.
Word Origin: Old English cȳta (as a noun in sense 2); probably of imitative origin and related to German Kauz ‘screech owl’. The toy was so named because it hovers in the air like the bird.
Example Bank: •John wants to fly his new stunt kite. •the joys of kite flying
verb ~ sth (NAmE, informal) to use an illegal cheque to obtain money or to dishonestly change the amount written on a cheque •to kite checks •check kiting Verb forms:
Word Origin: Old English cȳta (as a noun in sense 2); probably of imitative origin and related to German Kauz ‘screech owl’. The toy was so named because it hovers in the air like the bird.
