*lain*

n. [ OE. blein, bleyn, AS. blēgen; akin to Dan. blegn, D. blein; perh. fr. the same root as E. bladder. See Bladder. ] 1. An inflammatory swelling or sore; a bulla, pustule, or blister. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blotches and blains must all his flesh emboss. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Far.) A bladder growing on the root of the tongue of a horse, against the windpipe, and stopping the breath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. chamberlain, chambrelencF. chambellon, OHG. chamerling, chamarlinc, G. kämmerling, kammer chamber (fr. L. camera) + -ling. See Chamber, and -ling. ] [ Formerly written chamberlin. ] 1. An officer or servant who has charge of a chamber or chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An upper servant of an inn. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An officer having the direction and management of the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch; hence, in Europe, one of the high officers of a court. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A treasurer or receiver of public money; as, the chamberlain of London, of North Wales, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lord chamberlain of England, an officer of the crown, who waits upon the sovereign on the day of coronation, and provides requisites for the palace of Westminster, and for the House of Lords during the session of Parliament. Under him are the gentleman of the black rod and other officers. His office is distinct from that of the lord chamberlain of the Household, whose functions relate to the royal housekeeping. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Office of a chamberlain. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Geol.) A subdivision of the Quaternary age immediately following the Glacial period; -- so named from beds near Lake Champlain. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The earlier deposits of this period are diluvial in character, as if formed in connection with floods attending the melting of the glaciers, while the later deposits are of finer material in more quiet waters, as the alluvium. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

n. [ F. châtelaine the wife of a castellan, the mistress of a chateau, a chatelaine chain. ] An ornamental hook, or brooch worn by a lady at her waist, and having a short chain or chains attached for a watch, keys, trinkets, etc. Also used adjectively; as, a chatelaine chain. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To produce chilblains upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Chill + Blain. ] A blain, sore, or inflammatory swelling of the feet or hands, produced by exposure to cold, and attended by itching, pain, and sometimes ulceration.
Syn. -- pernio. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

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 ]

n. [ See Muslin delaine, under Muslin. ] A kind of fabric for women's dresses. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or }, n. [ Gr. &unr_; olive oil, oil, from &unr_; the olive tree: cf. F. élaïne. ] (Chem.) Same as Olein. [ 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 ]

obs. p. p. of Flay. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

p. p. of Lie, v. i. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Lanier. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Melaena. ] The dark coloring matter of the liquid of the cuttlefish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Melanotype. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To exceed in villainy. [ 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 ]