%plain%

n. [ F. chapelain, fr. LL. capellanus, fr. capella. See Chapel. ] 1. An ecclesiastic who has a chapel, or who performs religious service in a chapel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A clergyman who is officially attached to the army or navy, to some public institution, or to a family or court, for the purpose of performing divine service. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any person (clergyman or layman) chosen to conduct religious exercises for a society, etc.; as, a chaplain of a Masonic or a temperance lodge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Chaplaincies The office, position, or station of a chaplain. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The office or business of a chaplain. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Bethesda of some knight's chaplainship. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The possession or revenue of a chapel. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Complained p. pr. & vb. n. Complaining. ] [ F. complaindre, LL. complangere; com- + L. plangere to strike, beat, to beat the breast or head as a sign of grief, to lament. See Plaint. ] 1. To give utterance to expression of grief, pain, censure, regret. etc.; to lament; to murmur; to find fault; -- commonly used with of. Also, to creak or squeak, as a timber or wheel. [ 1913 Webster ]

O loss of sight, of thee I most complain! Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make a formal accusation; to make a charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now, Master Shallow, you'll complain of me to the king? Shak.

Syn. -- To repine; grumble; deplore; bewail; grieve; mourn; regret; murmur. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To lament; to bewail. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They might the grievance inwardly complain. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

By chaste Lucrece's soul that late complain'd
Her wrongs to us. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be complained of. [ R. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. complaignant, p. pr. of complaindre. ] 1. One who makes complaint. [ 1913 Webster ]

Eager complainants of the dispute. Collier. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) (a) One who commences a legal process by a complaint. (b) The party suing in equity, answering to the plaintiff at common law. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall forfeit one moiety to the use of the town, and the other moiety to the use of the complainant. Statutes of Mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who complains or laments; one who finds fault; a murmurer. Beattie. [ 1913 Webster ]

Speechless complainer, I will learn thy thought. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>adj. uttering complaints. Opposite of uncomplaining. [ prenominal ] [ Narrower terms: faultfinding, grumbling(prenominal): fretful, querulous, whiney, whining(prenominal), whiny; protesting(prenominal), protestant ]
Syn. -- complaintive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. complainte. See Complain. ] 1. Expression of grief, regret, pain, censure, or resentment; lamentation; murmuring; accusation; fault-finding. [ 1913 Webster ]

I poured out my complaint before him. Ps. cxlii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

Grievous complaints of you. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cause or subject of complaint or murmuring. [ 1913 Webster ]

The poverty of the clergy in England hath been the complaint of all who wish well to the church. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An ailment or disease of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

One in a complaint of his bowels. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A formal allegation or charge against a party made or presented to the appropriate court or officer, as for a wrong done or a crime committed (in the latter case, generally under oath); an information; accusation; the initial bill in proceedings in equity.

Syn. -- Lamentation; murmuring; sorrow; grief; disease; illness; disorder; malady; ailment. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of complaint. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To give an explanation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Explained p. pr. & vb. n. Explaining. ] [ L. explandare to flatten, spread out, explain; ex out + plandare to make level or plain, planus plain: cf. OF. esplaner, explaner. See Plain, a., and cf. Esplanade. ] 1. To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its leaf. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the meaning of; as, to explain a chapter of the Bible. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commentators to explain the difficult passages to you. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

To explain away, to get rid of by explanation. “Those explain the meaning quite away.” Pope.

Syn. -- To expound; interpret; elucidate; clear up. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. explainabilis. ] Capable of being explained or made plain to the understanding; capable of being interpreted. Sir. T. Browne.
Syn. -- explicable. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who explains; an expounder or expositor; a commentator; an interpreter.
Syn. -- explicator. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + explainable; cf. L. inexplanabilis. ] Incapable of being explained; inexplicable. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. paene, pene, almost + E. plain. ] (Phys. Geog.) A land surface reduced by erosion to the general condition of a plain, but not wholly devoid of hills; a base-level plain. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adv. In a plain manner; plainly. “To speak short and pleyn.” Chaucer. “To tell you plain.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ OE. playne, pleyne, fr. F. plaindre. See Plaint. ] To lament; to bewail; to complain. [ Archaic & Poetic ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

We with piteous heart unto you pleyne. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss. [ Archaic & Poetic ] Sir J. Harrington. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Plainer superl. Plainest. ] [ F., level, flat, fr. L. planus, perhaps akin to E. floor. Cf. Llano, Piano, Plan, Plane level, a level surface. ] 1. Without elevations or depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane. [ 1913 Webster ]

The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Isa. xl. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our troops beat an army in plain fight. Felton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable. “'T is a plain case.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (a) Void of extraneous beauty or ornament; without conspicious embellishment; not rich; simple. (b) Not highly cultivated; unsophisticated; free from show or pretension; simple; natural; homely; common. “Plain yet pious Christians.” Hammond. “The plain people.” A. Lincoln. (c) Free from affectation or disguise; candid; sincere; artless; honest; frank. “An honest mind, and plain.” Shak. (d) Not luxurious; not highly seasoned; simple; as, plain food. (e) Without beauty; not handsome; homely; as, a plain woman. (f) Not variegated, dyed, or figured; as, plain muslin. (g) Not much varied by modulations; as, a plain tune. [ 1913 Webster ]

Plain battle, open battle; pitched battle. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. --
Plain chant (Mus.) Same as Plain song, below. --
Plain chart (Naut.), a chart laid down on Mercator's projection. --
Plain dealer. (a) One who practices plain dealing. (b) A simpleton. [ Obs. ] Shak. --
Plain dealing. See under Dealing. --
Plain molding (Join.), molding of which the surfaces are plain figures. --
Plain sewing, sewing of seams by simple and common stitches, in distinct from fancy work, embroidery, etc.; -- distinguished also from designing and fitting garments. --
Plain song. (a) The Gregorian chant, or canto fermo; the prescribed melody of the Roman Catholic service, sung in unison, in tones of equal length, and rarely extending beyond the compass of an octave. (b) A simple melody. --
Plain speaking, plainness or bluntness of speech. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected; undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous; unembellished; downright; blunt; clear; simple; distinct; manifest; obvious; apparent. See Manifest. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. plaigne, F. plaine. See Plain, a. ] 1. Level land; usually, an open field or a broad stretch of land with an even surface, or a surface little varied by inequalities; as, the plain of Jordan; the American plains, or prairies. [ 1913 Webster ]

Descending fro the mountain into playn. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Him the Ammonite
Worshiped in Rabba and her watery plain. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A field of battle. [ Obs. ] Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lead forth my soldiers to the plain. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Plained p. pr. & vb. n. Plaining. ] [ Cf. Plane, v. ] 1. To plane or level; to make plain or even on the surface. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

We would rake Europe rather, plain the East. Wither. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make plain or manifest; to explain. [ 1913 Webster ]

What's dumb in show, I'll plain in speech. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 1st Plain. ] (Law) One who makes complaint; the plaintiff. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Practicing plain dealing; artless. See Plain dealing, under Dealing. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Frank; sincere; artless. Milton. -- Plain"-heart`ed*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. Complaint. [ Poetic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Complaining. [ Poetic ] Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Naut.) Consisting of strands twisted together in the ordinary way; as, a plain-laid rope. See Illust. of Cordage. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a plain manner; clearly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being plain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. -men One who lives in the plains. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Speaking with plain, unreserved sincerity; also, spoken sincerely; as, plain-spoken words. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bird of the genus Pedionomus (Pedionomus torquatus) of New South Wales, the only species in the genus. Pedionomus is the only genus of the family Pedionomidae of the order Passeriformes and the plains wanderer is thus the only species in the family. The total world population (ca. 2000) is estimated to be 5 to 10 thousand. See also http://www.philipmaher.com/plains.htm.
Syn. -- plain wanderer. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. plainte, pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L. plangere, planctum (plancta, fem. p. p.), to beat, beat the breast, lament. Cf. Complain, Plague, Plangent. ] 1. Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation; complaint; hence, a mournful song; a lament. Chaucer.“The Psalmist's mournful plaint.” Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An accusation or protest on account of an injury. [ 1913 Webster ]

There are three just grounds of war with Spain: one of plaint, two upon defense. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A private memorial tendered to a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action; the exhibiting of an action in writing. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing a plaint; complaining; expressing sorrow with an audible voice. “My plaintful tongue.” Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. plaintif making complaint, plaintive; in Old French equiv. to plaignant complainant, prosecutor, fr. plaindre. See Plaint, and cf. Plaintive. ] (Law) One who commences a personal action or suit to obtain a remedy for an injury to his rights; -- opposed to defendant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Plaintive. [ Obs. ] Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. plaintif. See Plaintiff, n. ] 1. Repining; complaining; lamenting. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Expressive of sorrow or melancholy; mournful; sad. “The most plaintive ditty.” Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Plain"tive*ly, adv. -- Plain"tive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without complaint; unrepining. “Plaintless patience.” Savage. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To explain or interpret from a different viewpoint. The form without the hyphen is more common.
Syn. -- reinterpret. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Explaining itself; capable of being understood without explanation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + chaplain. ] To remove from a chaplaincy. [ 1913 Webster ]

See drainable.
See dramatic.
See drinkable.
See durable.
See duteous.
See dutiful.
See earnest.
See eatable.
See ecclesiastical.
See edible.
See elaborate.
See elective.
See elusive.
See emotional.
See emphatic. See employable.
See employable.
See endurable.
See -English.
See entire.
See enviable.
See envious.
See episcopal.
See equable.
See errable.
See escapable.
See evangelical.
See eventful.
See evident.
See exact.
See examinable.
See exceptionable.
See exclusive.
See exemplary.
See exempt.
See exhaustible.
See existent.
See expectable.
See expectant.
See explainable.
See express.
See expressible.
See expugnable.
See extinct.
See factious.
See fadable.
See fain.
See familiar.
See famous.
See fashionable.
See fast.
See fatherly.
See fathomable.
See faulty.
See fearful.
See feasible.
See felicitous.
See felt.
See feminine.
See fermentable.
See festival.
See fine.
See fleshy.
See fluent.
See forcible.
See fordable.
See foreknowable.
See foreseeable.
See forgetful.
See forgivable.
See formal.
See framable.
See fraternal.
See friable.
See frightful.
See frustrable.
See full.
See gainable.
See gainful.
See gallant.
See genial.
See genteel.
See gentle.
See gentlemanlike.
See gentlemanly.
See geometrical.
See ghostly.
See glad.
See godlike.
See good.
See goodly.
See gorgeous.
See grammatical.
See grave.
See guidable.
See guilty.
See habile.
See habitable.
See hale.
See handy.
See hardy.
See harmful.
See hasty.
See hazardous.
See healable.
See healthful.
See healthy.
See heavenly.
See heedful.
See helpful.
See heritable.
[ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not deplored or bewailed; unlamented. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]