A.“π λ ο ῖ” S.Ph.304, X.An.5.7.7; gen. “π λ ῶν ” OGI132.9 (Egypt, ii B.C.); dat. “π λ ο ῖς” Antipho 5.83; acc. “π λ ο ῦς” Arist.Mete.362b24; later, a gen. sg. πλοός, as if of third declens. (cf. χ ο ῦς A), Peripl.M.Rubr.62, OGI572.21 (Myra, ii/iii A.D.), X. Eph.1.14; dat. “πλοΐ” D.S.21.2: pl. “πλόες” Phot.; acc. “πλόας” IGRom. 4.841 (Hierapolis): (πλέω):—sailing, voyage, Od.3.169, Hdt. (who always has the disyll. form) 2.29, etc.; “ἔσσεται Ἀγεάνακτι κ α λ ὸς π . ἐς Μιτυλάναν” Theoc.7.52; “ν α ῶν π .” Pi.O.7.32; “πλόον ὁρμαίνειν” Od. l.c.; π λ ο ῦν σ τ ε ῖλ α ι , π ο ι ε ῖσθαι, S.Aj.1045, Ph.552; ἔξ ω πλόου out of one's course, Pi.P.11.39; “ἐπ ᾽ ἡμέρας τέσσερας πλόος” Hdt.2.29; μ ῆκός ἐσ τ ι πλόος ἡμέραι τέσσερες its length is four days' sail, ib.158; ἐκ τ ῶν πλόων when the voyage is done, Id.1.185: metaph., “δ ι ὰ τ ο ῦ π λ ο ῦ . . τ ῆς ζ ω ῆς” Pl.Lg.803b.
2. time or tide for sailing, ὡρ α ῖος π ., ε ἰαρινὸς π ., Hes.Op.630, 678; “κ α ι ρ ὸς κ α ὶ π .” S.Ph.1450 (anap.); π . ἡμ ῖν ἐγίγνετο, i.e. the wind was fair, Antipho 5.24, cf. Th.1.137; “π . ἐστί τ ι ν ι ” E.Hec.899, IA92; “παραπεσόντος π . τισί” Plb.4.57.6; π λ ῷ χρήσασθαι to have a fair wind, Th.3.3; “πλόον δοκάζων” Sophr.52: pl., “καλλίστοις ἐχρήσαντο π λ ο ῖς” Antipho 5.83.
3. prov., δεύτερος π . 'the next best way', of those who try another scheme if the first fails (from those who use oars when the wind fails, ὁ δ . π . ἐσ τ ι δήπου λεγόμενος, ἂν ἀποτύχῃ τις ο ὐρίου (cj.), “κώπαισι π λ ε ῖν ” Men.241), Pl.Phd. 99d, Phlb.19c, Plt.300c; δεύτερος δ ὲ π . . . , π ε ι ρ ᾶσθαι . . the next best thing is to try . . , Arist.Pol.1284b19; “κ α τ ὰ τ ὸν δ . π λ ο ῦν ” Id.EN1109a35; “δ . ἂν ε ἴη π . τ ὸ . .” Plb.8.36.6: prov., “ο ὐ π α ν τ ὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐπ ὶ τράπεζάν ἐσ θ ᾽ ὁ π .” Nicol.Com.1.26, cf. Κόρινθος; ἡμέτερος ὁ π . 'our innings', Com.Adesp.274.