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kite
[ kahyt ]
noun
- 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.
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)
- to employ (a check or the like) as a kite; to cash or pass (a kite, forged check, etc.).
kite
2/ kaɪt /
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 flyfly a kitefly a kite See fly 1
- See highhigh as a kitehigh as a kite 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
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Derived Forms
- ˈkiter, noun
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Other Words From
- kiter noun
- kitelike adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of kite1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of kite1
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Idioms and Phrases
see go fly a kite ; high as a kite .Discover More
Example Sentences
The plan was to utilize kites attached to their harnesses to help aid locomotion, effectively towing them across the frozen landscape.
The other interesting thing to know about this particular Thanksgiving is that I’m in love – dizzying, heart palpitating, feeling high as a kite love.
It was an odd-looking thing, essentially an oval kite, quite a bit longer than it was wide, and lacking—as birds did—a fin or rudder to keep it pointed in the right direction.
On most Saturdays and Sundays, we usually head up into the mountains, go for a hike, fly a kite, splash around in a stream maybe.
A speeding racecar, a flying kite, a kid cruising along on rollerblades — they all have momentum.
Manned, unmanned, a balloon, a kite—you still have to get the information into the hands of the firefighters.
Maybe not good enough to fly a kite with my face on it through Central Park, but better.
He was a fairly well-known actor already—the star of The Kite Runner.
Founded in 2006 by some entrepreneurial kite surfers, Makani makes flying wind turbines.
The author of The Kite Runner picks his favorite short story collections.
It occurred to him then, for the first time, that a third resource was open—he might cut the rope, and let the kite go free!
These Eskimos were very fond of kite-flying, for its own sake, without reference to utility!
The third boat and kite had been damaged beyond repair, but the two left were sufficient.
It needed only an exertion of will for the soul to hurl the body ashore as wind drives paper; to waft it kite-fashion to the bank.
Being towed by Chets big kite had became a game that all hands wanted to try.
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About This Word
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.
Where does kite come from?
Kite, as prison slang for notes passed between inmates, was first recorded in the 1920s. It apparently takes its name from prisoners flinging notes on a string to one another, like flying a kite, as the activity was called.
In contemporary prison culture, kites are sent in a variety of creative ways, including when a prisoner passes a note while doing work such as laundry or delivering food. Kites may also be passed by addressing a letter to a fake address, putting the name and address of the intended recipient as the return address, and waiting for the post office to return to the “sender.”
Kite has become common enough in prison culture that any message, especially a written request, is referred to as a kite, including among staff. Want to see a doctor, get moved to another cell block, or complain about a guard? Send a kite or kite it. And kites complaining about prison staff, by the way, are known as fan mail.
How is kite used in real life?
Both inmates and correctional staff use kite to refer to messages and communication. Messages from inmates to people outside prison may also be called kites.
Big Meech Sends Meek Mill A Virtual Kite From Prison On How To Handle The Game https://t.co/SnbxII7mnx pic.twitter.com/7fbnBmucWk
— Bossip (@Bossip) September 17, 2016
“@SWAGGAD0WNPAT: would one be right in assuming a prison "kite" is the equivalent to a real world "tweet"?”
Now you're getting it!
— Damien Echols (@damienechols) January 13, 2013
It's an @earhustlesq tradition! This season's "Catch a Kite" episode answers listener questions about sleep, soundtracks, signing in prison and more.
Plus, if you submitted an Ear Hustle theme remix, you may hear it in this episode… 🎶 https://t.co/mWqlOye2ku pic.twitter.com/e6RcN5cISY
— Radiotopia (@radiotopia) September 11, 2019
Note
This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.
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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.
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