(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 ]

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. [ F. complaisance. See Complaisant, and cf. Complacence. ] Disposition to please or oblige; obliging compliance with the wishes of others; a deportment indicative of a desire to please; courtesy; civility. [ 1913 Webster ]

These [ ladies ] . . . are by the just complaisance and gallantry of our nation the most powerful part of our people. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

They strive with their own hearts and keep them down,
In complaisance to all the fools in town. Young.

Syn. -- Civility; courtesy; urbanity; suavity; affability; good breeding. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. complaisant, p. pr. of complaire to acquiesce as a favor, fr. L. complacere. See Complacent. ] Desirous to please; courteous; obliging; compliant; as, a complaisant gentleman. [ 1913 Webster ]

There are to whom my satire seems too bold:
Scarce to wise Peter complaisant enough. Pope.

Syn. -- Obliging; courteous; affable; gracious; civil; polite; well-bred. See Obliging.

-- Com"plai*sant`ly, adv. -- Com"plai*sant`ness, n. [ 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. ]

n. [ F. plaise, plais, prob. fr. L. platessa flatish, plaice. See Place. ] (Zool.) (a) A European food fish (Pleuronectes platessa), allied to the flounder, and growing to the weight of eight or ten pounds or more. (b) A large American flounder (Paralichthys dentatus; called also brail, puckermouth, and summer flounder. The name is sometimes applied to other allied species. [ Written also plaise. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Plaice mouth, a mouth like that of a plaice; a small or wry mouth. [ R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gael. plaide a blanket or plaid, contr. fr. peallaid a sheepskin, fr. peall a skin or hide. CF. Pillion. ] 1. A rectangular garment or piece of cloth, usually made of the checkered material called tartan, but sometimes of plain gray, or gray with black stripes. It is worn by both sexes in Scotland. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Goods of any quality or material of the pattern of a plaid or tartan; a checkered cloth or pattern. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a pattern or colors which resemble a Scotch plaid; checkered or marked with bars or stripes at right angles to one another; as, plaid muslin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Of the material of which plaids are made; tartan. “In plaided vest.” Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wearing a plaid. Campbell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Plaid cloth. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

n. [ F. ] See Pleasance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Plaice. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]