◙ noun 1. a toy consisting of a light frame with thin material stretched over it, flown in the wind at the end of a long string • 风筝，纸鸢 [Brit. informal, dated] an aircraft • [英，非正式， 旧] 飞机 [Sailing, informal] a spinnaker or other high, light sail • [航海非正式] 大三角帆；高而轻的帆船 2. a medium to large long-winged bird of prey which typically has a forked tail and frequently soars on updraughts of air • 鸢 3. Milvus and other genera, family Accipitridae: many species, in particular the red kite and black kite • 鸢属及其他属，鹰科：多种，尤指红鸢和黑鸢 4. [informal] a fraudulent cheque, bill, or receipt • [非正式] 空头支票（或账单、收据） an illicit or surreptitious letter or note • 非法（或秘密）的信件（便条） (archaic)a person who exploits or preys on others • [古] 剥削者，掠夺者 5. [Geometry] a quadrilateral figure having two pairs of equal adjacent sides, symmetrical only about its diagonals • [几何] 有两对邻边相等，按对角线对称的四边形 ◙ verb 1. [no obj.] [usu. as noun kiting] fly a kite • 放风筝 [with adverbial of direction] fly; move quickly • 飞；飞奔 »he kited into England on Concorde. 他乘坐协和式飞机飞到英格兰。 2. [with obj.] (informal, chieflyN. Amer)write or use (a cheque, bill, or receipt) fraudulently • [非正式，主北美] 开具（使用）空头支票（或账单、收据）
【IDIOMS】
◘ (as) high as a kite 1. [informal] intoxicated with drugs or alcohol • [非正式] 被毒品麻醉；喝醉
【语源】
1. 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