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 ]