Plain , 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.]
We would rake Europe rather, plain the East.
Wither. 2. To make plain
or manifest; to explain.
What's dumb in show,
I'll plain in speech.
Shak.
Plain , 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.
Descending fro the mountain into playn.
Chaucer.
Him the Ammonite
Worshiped in Rabba
and her watery plain.
Milton.
2. A field of battle. [Obs.] Arbuthnot.
Lead forth my soldiers to the plain.
Shak.
Plain , adv. In a plain manner; plainly. "To speak short and pleyn."
Chaucer. "To tell you plain."
Shak.
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.
The crooked shall be made
straight, and the rough places plain.
Isa. xl. 4.
2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Our
troops beat an army in plain fight.
Felton. 3. Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable. "'T is a plain case." Shak.
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.
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.
Syn.
-- Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected;
undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous;
unembellished; downright; blunt; clear; simple; distinct; manifest; obvious; apparent. See Manifest.
Plain , v. t. To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss. [Archaic & Poetic]
Sir J. Harrington.
Plain (?), v. i. [OE. playne, pleyne, fr. F. plaindre. See Plaint.]
To lament; to bewail; to complain. [Archaic &
Poetic] Milton.
We with piteous heart unto you
pleyne.
Chaucer.
Hear it pronounced