From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Plain \Plain\, 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}.
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The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough
places plain. --Isa. xl. 4.
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2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
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Our troops beat an army in plain fight. --Felton.
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3. Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious;
clear; unmistakable. "'T is a plain case." --Shak.
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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.
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{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.
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Syn: Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected;
undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous;
unembellished; downright; blunt; clear; simple;
distinct; manifest; obvious; apparent. See {Manifest}.
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