Adjacent Words

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment; "the effects of the drought are apparent to anyone who sees the parched fields"; "evident hostility"; "manifest disapproval"; "patent advantages"; "made his meaning plain"; "it is plain that he is no reactionary"; "in plain view" [syn: apparent, evident, manifest, patent, plain, unmistakable]
2: not elaborate or elaborated; simple; "plain food"; "stuck to the plain facts"; "a plain blue suit"; "a plain rectangular brick building" [ant: fancy]
3: lacking patterns especially in color [syn: plain, unpatterned] [ant: patterned]
4: not mixed with extraneous elements; "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing" [syn: plain, sheer, unmingled, unmixed]
5: free from any effort to soften to disguise; "the plain and unvarnished truth"; "the unvarnished candor of old people and children" [syn: plain, unvarnished]
6: lacking embellishment or ornamentation; "a plain hair style"; "unembellished white walls"; "functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete" [syn: plain, bare, spare, unembellished, unornamented]
7: lacking in physical beauty or proportion; "a homely child"; "several of the buildings were downright homely"; "a plain girl with a freckled face" [syn: homely, plain] n
1: extensive tract of level open land; "they emerged from the woods onto a vast open plain"; "he longed for the fields of his youth" [syn: plain, field, champaign]
2: a basic knitting stitch [syn: knit, knit stitch, plain, plain stitch] v
1: express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness; "My mother complains all day"; "She has a lot to kick about" [syn: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch] [ant: cheer, cheer up, chirk up] adv
1: unmistakably (`plain' is often used informally for `plainly'); "the answer is obviously wrong"; "she was in bed and evidently in great pain"; "he was manifestly too important to leave off the guest list"; "it is all patently nonsense"; "she has apparently been living here for some time"; "I thought he owned the property, but apparently not"; "You are plainly wrong"; "he is plain stubborn" [syn: obviously, evidently, manifestly, patently, apparently, plainly, plain]

Merriam Webster's

I. intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French pleindre, plaindre, from Latin plangere to lament — more at plaint Date: 14th century archaic complain II. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin planum, from neuter of planus flat, plain — more at floor Date: 14th century 1. a. an extensive area of level or rolling treeless country b. a broad unbroken expanse 2. something free from artifice, ornament, or extraneous matter III. adjective Date: 14th century 1. archaic even, level 2. lacking ornament ; undecorated 3. free of extraneous matter ; pure 4. free of impediments to view ; unobstructed 5. a. (1) evident to the mind or senses ; obvious <it's perfectly plain that they will resist> (2) clear <let me make my meaning plain> b. marked by outspoken candor ; free from duplicity or subtlety ; blunt <plain talk> 6. a. belonging to the masses ; common b. lacking special distinction or affectation ; ordinary 7. characterized by simplicity ; not complicated <plain home-cooked meals> 8. lacking beauty or ugliness Synonyms: see common, evident, frank • plainly adverb • plainness noun IV. adverb Date: 14th century in a plain manner ; without obscurity or ambiguity <saw them clearly and told you plain — American Documentation> V. adverb Etymology: partly from Middle English plein entire, complete, from Anglo-French, full, from Latin plenus; partly from ⁴plain — more at full Date: 1535 absolutely 1 <it plain galled me to pay fancy prices — F. R. Buckley>

Britannica Concise

Any relatively level area of the earth's surface that exhibits gentle slopes and small local relief (differences in elevation). Occupying slightly more than one-third of the terrestrial surface, plains are found on all continents except Antarctica. Some are tree-covered and others are grassy. Still others support scrub brush and bunch grass, and a few are nearly waterless deserts. With certain exceptions, plains have become the sites of major centers of population, industry, commerce, and transportation.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. adj., adv., & n. --adj. 1 clear; evident (is plain to see). 2 readily understood; simple (in plain words). 3 a (of food, sewing, decoration, etc.) uncomplicated; not elaborate; unembellished; simple. b without a decorative pattern. 4 (esp. of a woman or girl) ugly. 5 outspoken; straightforward. 6 (of manners, dress, etc.) unsophisticated; homely (a plain man). 7 (of drawings etc.) not coloured (penny plain, twopence coloured). 8 not in code. --adv. 1 clearly; unequivocally (to speak plain, I don't approve). 2 simply (that is plain stupid). --n. 1 a level tract of esp. treeless country. 2 a basic knitting stitch made by putting the needle through the back of the stitch and passing the wool round the front of the needle (opp. PURL(1)). Phrases and idioms: be plain with speak bluntly to. plain card neither a trump nor a court-card. plain chocolate dark chocolate without added milk. plain clothes ordinary clothes worn esp. as a disguise by policemen etc. plain-clothes (attrib.) wearing plain clothes. plain cook a person competent in plain English cooking. plain dealing candour; straightforwardness. plain sailing 1 sailing a straightforward course. 2 an uncomplicated situation or course of action. plain service Eccl. a church service without music. plain-spoken outspoken; blunt. plain suit a suit that is not trumps. plain text a text not in cipher or code. plain time time not paid for at overtime rates. plain weaving weaving with the weft alternately over and under the warp. Derivatives: plainly adv. plainness n. Etymology: ME f. OF plain (adj. & n.) f. L planus (adj.), planum (n.) 2. v.intr. archaic or poet. 1 mourn. 2 complain. 3 make a plaintive sound. Etymology: ME f. OF plaindre (stem plaign-) f. L plangere planct- lament

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plain 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plain Plain, v. t. To lament; to mourn over; as, to plain a loss. [Archaic & Poetic] --Sir J. Harrington.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plain 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plain 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plain Plain, adv. In a plain manner; plainly. ``To speak short and pleyn.'' --Chaucer. ``To tell you plain.'' --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(plainer, plainest, plains) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A plain object, surface, or fabric is entirely in one colour and has no pattern, design, or writing on it. In general, a plain carpet makes a room look bigger... He wore a plain blue shirt, open at the collar. ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. Something that is plain is very simple in style. Bronwen's dress was plain but it hung well on her... ? fancy, elaborate ADJ • plainly He was very tall and plainly dressed. ADV: ADV -ed 3. If a fact, situation, or statement is plain, it is easy to recognize or understand. It was plain to him that I was having a nervous breakdown... He's made it plain that he loves the game and wants to be involved still. = clear ADJ: usu v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ that see also plain-spoken 4. If you describe someone as plain, you think they look ordinary and not at all beautiful. ...a shy, rather plain girl with a pale complexion. ADJ 5. A plain is a large flat area of land with very few trees on it. Once there were 70 million buffalo on the plains. N-COUNT 6. You can use plain before an adjective in order to emphasize it. The food was just plain terrible. ADV: ADV adj [emphasis] • Plain is also used before a noun. Is it love of publicity or plain stupidity on her part? ADJ: ADJ n 7. If a police officer is in plain clothes, he or she is wearing ordinary clothes instead of a police uniform. Three officers in plain clothes told me to get out of the car. plain sailing: see sailing PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR after v

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) Heb. 'abel (Judg. 11:33), a "grassy plain" or "meadow." Instead of "plains of the vineyards," as in the Authorized Version, the Revised Version has "Abel-cheramim" (q.v.), comp. Judg. 11:22; 2 Chr. 16:4.

(2.) Heb. 'elon (Gen. 12:6; 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; Deut. 11:30; Judg. 9:6), more correctly "oak," as in the Revised Version; margin, "terebinth."

(3.) Heb. bik'ah (Gen. 11:2; Neh. 6:2; Ezek. 3:23; Dan. 3:1), properly a valley, as rendered in Isa. 40:4, a broad plain between mountains. In Amos 1:5 the margin of Authorized Version has "Bikathaven."

(4.) Heb. kikar, "the circle," used only of the Ghor, or the low ground along the Jordan (Gen. 13:10-12; 19:17, 25, 28, 29; Deut. 34:3; 2 Sam. 18:23; 1 Kings 7:46; 2 Chr. 4:17; Neh. 3:22; 12:28), the floor of the valley through which it flows. This name is applied to the Jordan valley as far north as Succoth.

(5.) Heb. mishor, "level ground," smooth, grassy table-land (Deut. 3:10; 4:43; Josh. 13:9, 16, 17, 21; 20:8; Jer. 48:21), an expanse of rolling downs without rock or stone. In these passages, with the article prefixed, it denotes the plain in the tribe of Reuben. In 2 Chr. 26:10 the plain of Judah is meant. Jerusalem is called "the rock of the plain" in Jer. 21:13, because the hills on which it is built rise high above the plain.

(6.) Heb. 'arabah, the valley from the Sea of Galilee southward to the Dead Sea (the "sea of the plain," 2 Kings 14:25; Deut. 1:1; 2:8), a distance of about 70 miles. It is called by the modern Arabs the Ghor. This Hebrew name is found in Authorized Version (Josh. 18:18), and is uniformly used in the Revised Version. Down through the centre of this plain is a ravine, from 200 to 300 yards wide, and from 50 to 100 feet deep, through which the Jordan flows in a winding course. This ravine is called the "lower plain."

The name Arabah is also applied to the whole Jordan valley from Mount Hermon to the eastern branch of the Red Sea, a distance of about 200 miles, as well as to that portion of the valley which stretches from the Sea of Galilee to the same branch of the Red Sea, i.e., to the Gulf of Akabah about 100 miles in all.

(7.) Heb. shephelah, "low ground," "low hill-land," rendered "vale" or "valley" in Authorized Version (Josh. 9:1; 10:40; 11:2; 12:8; Judg. 1:9; 1 Kings 10:27). In Authorized Version (1 Chr. 27:28; 2 Chr. 26:10) it is also rendered "low country." In Jer. 17:26, Obad. 1:19, Zech. 7:7, "plain." The Revised Version renders it uniformly "low land." When it is preceded by the article, as in Deut. 1:7, Josh. 11:16; 15:33, Jer. 32:44; 33:13, Zech. 7:7, "the shephelah," it denotes the plain along the Mediterranean from Joppa to Gaza, "the plain of the Philistines." (See VALLEY.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

plan

(1) kikkar, "circle" "talent," or "round loaf";

(2) mishor, from yashar, "to be level"; compare Arabic maisur, "that which is easy";

(3) biqah; compare Arabic baq`at, "a plot of ground" or "a wet meadow";

(4) `arabhah;

(5) shephelah;

(6) topos pedinos (Lu 6:17);

(7) 'elon; compare elah, and 'allon "oak" (Ge 35:4,8, etc.); also 'elah, "Elah" (1Sa 17:2);

(8) 'abhel):

See NATURAL FEATURES.

(1) Kikkar, when meaning "plain" usually refers to the alluvial plain about Jericho near the north end of the Dead Sea: "Plain (the Revised Version margin "circle") of the Jordan" (Ge 13:10,11; 1Ki 7:46; 2Ch 4:17); "Plain of the valley of Jericho" (De 34:3); "cities of the Plain" (Ge 13:12; 19:29); "all the Plain" (Ge 19:17,25); "by the way of the Plain" (2Sa 18:23); but "the plain round about Jerusalem" (Ne 12:28).

See CICCAR; CIRCLE.

(2) Mishor, English Versions of the Bible "plain," the Revised Version margin usually "table-land," clearly refers in most places to the highlands of Gilead and Moab, East of the Jordan and the Dead Sea; e.g. Jos 13:9, "the plain (the Revised Version margin "table-land") of Medeba."

(3) Biq`ah is more often translated "valley" (which see).

(4) `Arabhah is in the Revised Version (British and American) often translated "the Arabah," denoting the whole Jordan-Dead-Sea-Arabah depression equals Arabic Ghaur (Ghor). In De 11:30, the King James Version has "champaign" (which see). The "plains of Moab" (Nu 22:1; 26:3,13; 31:12; 33:48,49,50; 35:1; 36:13; De 34:1,8; Jos 13:32) and "plains of Jericho" (Jos 4:13; 5:10; 2Ki 25:5; Jer 39:5; 52:8) are the low plain or ghaur North of the Dead Sea. `Arabhah is here equivalent to kikkar (see above). Note the distinction between mishor used of the highlands, and kikkar and `arabhah used of the ghaur.

See ARABAH.

(5) Shephelah is by the Revised Version (British and American) throughout translated "lowland" (which see), and includes the western slopes of the Judean hills and the maritime plain.

(6) Topos pedinos occurs only in Lu 6:17.

(7) `Elon is translated "plain" in the King James Version: "plain of Moreh" (Ge 12:6; De 11:30); "plain (or plains) of Mamre" (Ge 13:18; 14:13; 18:1); "plain of Zaanaim" (Jud 4:11); "plain of the pillar" (Jud 9:6); "plain of Meonenim" (Jud 9:37); "plain of Tabor" (1Sa 10:3). the Revised Version (British and American) has throughout "oak," the Revised Version margin "terebinth"; compare "oak" (Ge 35:4,8, etc.) and "vale of Elah" (1Sa 17:2,19; 21:9).

(8) ['Abhel keramim] (Jud 11:33) is in the King James Version "the plain of the vineyards," the Revised Version (British and American) "Abel-cheramim," the Revised Version margin "the meadow of vineyards." Elsewhere in English Versions of the Bible 'abhel is "Abel" or "Abel."

See ABEL-CHERAMIM; MEADOW.

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Even, level, smooth, flat, plane. 2. Open, clear, unencumbered, uninterrupted. 3. Manifest, visible, obvious, clear, unmistakable, apparent, certain, palpable, conspicuous, notable, notorious, glaring, patent, open, evident, distinct. 4. Unequivocal, unambiguous, distinct, explicit, intelligible, perspicuous. 5. Simple, unadorned. 6. Homely, ugly, ill-looking, ill-favored. 7. Artless, honest, sincere, candid, frank, open, downright, direct, unsophisticated, ingenuous, undesigning, straightforward, single-minded, open-hearted, above-board, unreserved. 8. Artless, simple, unlearned, unsophisticated, natural, unaffected, homely, common. 9. Mere, absolute, unmistakable. 10. Easy, direct, clear. 11. Simple, frugal, homely. 12. Unornamented, unfigured, unvariegated. II. n. Plateau, champaign, savanna, pampas, table-land, champaign country.

Moby Thesaurus

Attic, Bohemian, Ciceronian, Lebensraum, Mickey Mouse, Spartan, abrupt, absolute, absolutely, affable, agricultural region, air space, all-embracing, all-encompassing, all-out, all-pervading, apparent, arable land, articulate, artless, ascetic, audible, austere, back country, bald, bare, baseborn, basic, beautiless, below the salt, billiard table, black belt, blemished, blotted, bluff, blunt, born, born yesterday, bowling green, broad, broad-based, brusque, cacophonic, cacophonous, campestral, campestrian, campo, candid, casual, champaign, chaste, cheerful, childlike, citrus belt, classic, classical, clean, clean-cut, clear, clear as crystal, clear as day, clear space, clear-cut, clearance, clearing, cockney, coherent, colorless, comfortable, common, commonplace, comprehensive, confiding, congenital, connected, consistent, conspicuous, consummate, contrastive, cordial, corn belt, cotton belt, countryside, cozy, crisp, crystal-clear, crystalline, cushy, dead flat, dead level, deep-dyed, defaced, defined, definite, degage, desert, direct, discernible, discreet, disfigured, distant prospect, distinct, distinctive, down, downright, drab, dry, dull, dust bowl, dyed-in-the-wool, dysphemistic, dysphemized, earth, easy, easy as pie, easygoing, effortless, egregious, elegant, elementary, empty view, esplanade, essential, even, everyday, evident, exhaustive, explicit, express, facile, familiar, farm belt, farm country, farmland, featureless, finished, flat, flatland, flattened, floor, flush, folksy, forthright, frank, frankhearted, free, free and easy, free-speaking, free-spoken, free-tongued, friendly, fruit belt, fundamental, garden, garden-variety, genuine, glade, glaring, glib, graceful, gracile, gracious, graphic, grass roots, grassland, grazing region, ground, guileless, haymish, hearable, heart-to-heart, heath, hi-fi, high-fidelity, highlands, homaloid, homaloidal, homelike, homely, homespun, homey, homish, homogeneous, honest, horizontal, horizontal axis, horizontal fault, horizontal line, horizontal parallax, horizontal plane, horizontal projection, household, humble, humble-looking, humble-visaged, humblest, humdrum, ill-favored, in focus, indisputable, indivisible, indubitable, inelegant, informal, ingenu, ingenuous, inglorious, innocent, innocuous, insipid, intelligible, intensive, intimate, irreducible, irregular, irretrievably, irrevocably, lean, least, ledge, legible, level, level line, level plane, light, limpid, living space, llano, loose, loud and clear, low, lowborn, lowbred, lowest, lowlands, lowliest, lowly, lucid, luminous, manifest, marred, matter-of-fact, mead, meadows and pastures, mean, mean sea level, mere, modest, monolithic, moor, moorland, moors, mundane, muted, naive, natural, neat, nonclerical, nondescript, nothing to it, noticeable, observable, obvious, of a piece, offhand, offhanded, omnibus, omnipresent, open, open country, open space, open-and-shut, openhearted, ordinary, out-and-out, outback, outright, outspoken, painless, palpable, pampas, parterre, pasture, patent, peaceful, pedestrian, pellucid, perceivable, perceptible, perfect, perfectly, perspicuous, pervasive, plain as day, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, plains, plane, plateau, platform, plebeian, plumb, poetryless, polished, poor, prairie, prairies, primal, primary, prominent, pronounced, prosaic, prose, prosing, prosy, province, provinces, pure, pure and simple, quite, radical, refined, regular, relaxed, restrained, right, rolled, round, rude, rural district, rustic, rustic region, savanna, sea level, sea of grass, seeable, self-evident, self-explaining, self-explanatory, severe, shabby-genteel, sheer, short, short on looks, simon-pure, simple, simple as ABC, simple-speaking, simplehearted, simpleminded, sincere, single, single-hearted, single-minded, small, smooth, smoothed out, smoothened, snug, sober, sociable, soft, spare, spartan, spoiled, squashed, squashed flat, staring, stark, steppe, steppes, straight, straight-out, straightforward, sweeping, table, tabloid, tabular, tangible, tasteful, teachable, terrace, terrain, territory, terse, the country, the soil, the sticks, third-estate, thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, tiresome, to be seen, tobacco belt, total, translucent, transparent, transpicuous, trim, trodden, trodden flat, trustful, trusting, tundra, ubiquitous, uglified, ugly, ugly as hell, ugly as sin, unadorned, unadulterated, unaesthetic, unaffected, unalluring, unambiguous, unassuming, unattractive, unbeauteous, unbeautiful, unburdensome, unceremonious, unchecked, uncluttered, uncomely, uncomplicated, unconcealed, unconditional, unconfused, unconstrained, unconventional, undecorated, understandable, undifferenced, undifferentiated, undiluted, undisguised, undissembled, undissembling, undistinguished, unelaborate, unembellished, unenhanced, unequivocal, unfeigned, ungarnished, ungenteel, unguarded, unhandsome, unidealistic, uniform, unimaginative, unimpassioned, unimportant, universal, univocal, unlabored, unlovely, unluxurious, unmistakable, unmitigated, unmixed, unofficial, unornamented, unostentatious, unpleasing, unpoetic, unpoetical, unpretending, unpretentious, unpretty, unqualified, unrelievedly, unremarkable, unreserved, unrestrained, unrestricted, unromantic, unsightly, unsophisticated, unstudied, unsuspicious, unvarnished, unwary, uplands, utter, vapid, veld, veldt, veritable, visible, vivid, vulgar, water level, well-defined, well-marked, well-pronounced, well-resolved, wheat belt, wholesale, wide-open spaces, wilderness, wold, woodland, woods and fields, workaday, workday, yokeldom