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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SIM'PLE, a. [L. simplex; sine, without and plex, plica, doubling, fold;]
1. Single; consisting of one thing; uncompounded; unmingled; uncombined with any thing else; as a simple substance; a simple idea; a simple sound.
2. Plain; artless; not given to design, stratagem or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; harmless. A simple husbandman in garments gray.
3. Artless; unaffected; unconstrained; inartificial; plain. In simple manners all the secret lies.
4. Unadorned; plain; as a simple style or narration; a simple dress.
5. Not complex or complicated; as a machine of simple construction.
6. Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; silly. The simple believeth every word; but the prudent looketh well to his going. Proverbs 14.
7. In botany, undivided, as a root, stem or spike; only one on a petiole, as a simple leaf; only one on a peduncle, as a simple flower; having only one set of rays, as an umbel; having only one row of leaflets, as a simple calyx; not plumose or fathered, as a pappus. A simple body, in chemisty, is one that has not been decomposed, or separated into two or more bodies.
SIM'PLE, n. Something not mixed or compounded. in the materia medica, the genral denomination of an herb or plant. as each vegetable is supposed to possess its particular virtue, and therefore to constitute a simple remedy.
SIM'PLE, v. i. To gather simples or plants. As simpling on the flowery hills he stray'd.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved; "a simple problem"; "simple mechanisms"; "a simple design"; "a simple substance" [ant: complex]
2: easy and not involved or complicated; "an elementary problem in statistics"; "elementary, my dear Watson"; "a simple game"; "found an uncomplicated solution to the problem" [syn: elementary, simple, uncomplicated, unproblematic]
3: apart from anything else; without additions or modifications; "only the bare facts"; "shocked by the mere idea"; "the simple passage of time was enough"; "the simple truth" [syn: bare, mere, simple]
4: exhibiting childlike simplicity and credulity; "childlike trust"; "dewy-eyed innocence"; "listened in round-eyed wonder" [syn: childlike, wide-eyed, round-eyed, dewy- eyed, simple]
5: lacking mental capacity and subtlety [syn: dim-witted, simple, simple-minded]
6: (botany) of leaf shapes; of leaves having no divisions or subdivisions [syn: simple, unsubdivided] [ant: compound]
7: unornamented; "a simple country schoolhouse"; "her black dress--simple to austerity" n
1: any herbaceous plant having medicinal properties
2: a person lacking intelligence or common sense [syn: simpleton, simple]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective (simpler; simplest) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin simplus, alteration of Latin simplic-, simplex single, having one ingredient, plain, from sem-, sim- one + -plic-, -plex -fold — more at same, -fold Date: 13th century 1. free from guile ; innocent 2. a. free from vanity ; modest b. free from ostentation or display <a simple outfit> 3. of humble origin or modest position <a simple farmer> 4. a. lacking in knowledge or expertise <a simple amateur of the arts> b. (1) stupid (2) mentally retarded c. not socially or culturally sophisticated ; naive; also credulous 5. a. sheer, unmixed <simple honesty> b. free of secondary complications <a simple vitamin deficiency> c. (1) having only one main clause and no subordinate clauses <a simple sentence> (2) of a subject or predicate having no modifiers, complements, or objects d. constituting a basic element ; fundamental e. not made up of many like units <a simple eye> 6. free from elaboration or figuration <simple harmony> 7. a. (1) not subdivided into branches or leaflets <a simple stem> <a simple leaf> (2) consisting of a single carpel (3) developing from a single ovary <a simple fruit> b. controlled by a single gene <simple inherited characters> 8. not limited or restricted ; unconditional <a simple obligation> 9. readily understood or performed <simple directions> <the adjustment was simple to make> 10. of a statistical hypothesis specifying exact values for one or more statistical parameters — compare composite 3 • simpleness noun Synonyms: simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence. simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort <considered people simple who had trouble with computers>. foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense <foolish stunts>. silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior <the silly antics of revelers>. fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality <fatuous conspiracy theories>. asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception <an asinine plot>. Synonym: see in addition easy. II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. a person of humble birth ; commoner <thought very little of anybody, simples or gentry — Virginia Woolf> b. (1) a rude or credulous person ; ignoramus (2) a mentally retarded person 2. a. a medicinal plant b. a vegetable drug having only one ingredient 3. one component of a complex; specifically an unanalyzable constituent

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty (a simple explanation; a simple task). 2 not complicated or elaborate; without luxury or sophistication. 3 not compound; consisting of or involving only one element or operation etc. 4 absolute, unqualified, straightforward (the simple truth; a simple majority). 5 foolish or ignorant; gullible, feeble-minded (am not so simple as to agree to that). 6 plain in appearance or manner; unsophisticated, ingenuous, artless. 7 of low rank; humble, insignificant (simple people). 8 Bot. a consisting of one part. b (of fruit) formed from one pistil. --n. archaic 1 a herb used medicinally. 2 a medicine made from it. Phrases and idioms: simple eye an eye of an insect, having only one lens. simple fracture a fracture of the bone only, without a skin wound. simple harmonic motion see HARMONIC. simple interest interest payable on a capital sum only (cf. compound interest (see COMPOUND)). simple interval Mus. an interval of one octave or less. simple machine any of the basic mechanical devices for applying a force (e.g. an inclined plane, wedge, or lever). simple sentence a sentence with a single subject and predicate. Simple Simon a foolish person (from the nursery-rhyme character). simple time Mus. a time with two, three, or four beats in a bar. Derivatives: simpleness n. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L simplus

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Simple Sim"ple, a. [Compar. Simpler; superl. Simplest.] [F., fr. L. simplus, or simplex, gen. simplicis. The first part of the Latin words is probably akin to E. same, and the sense, one, one and the same; cf. L. semel once, singuli one to each, single. Cg. Single, a., Same, a., and for the last part of the word cf. Double, Complex.] 1. Single; not complex; not infolded or entangled; uncombined; not compounded; not blended with something else; not complicated; as, a simple substance; a simple idea; a simple sound; a simple machine; a simple problem; simple tasks. 2. Plain; unadorned; as, simple dress. ``Simple truth.'' --Spenser. ``His simple story.'' --Burns. 3. Mere; not other than; being only. A medicine . . . whose simple touch Is powerful to araise King Pepin. --Shak. 4. Not given to artifice, stratagem, or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; true. Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them. --Marston. Must thou trust Tradition's simple tongue? --Byron. To be simple is to be great. --Emerson. 5. Artless in manner; unaffected; unconstrained; natural; inartificial;; straightforward. In simple manners all the secret lies. --Young. 6. Direct; clear; intelligible; not abstruse or enigmatical; as, a simple statement; simple language. 7. Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; of but moderate understanding or attainments; hence, foolish; silly. ``You have simple wits.'' --Shak. The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going. --Prov. xiv. 15. 8. Not luxurious; without much variety; plain; as, a simple diet; a simple way of living. Thy simple fare and all thy plain delights. --Cowper. 9. Humble; lowly; undistinguished. A simple husbandman in garments gray. --Spenser. Clergy and laity, male and female, gentle and simple made the fuel of the same fire. --Fuller. 10. (BOt.) Without subdivisions; entire; as, a simple stem; a simple leaf. 11. (Chem.) Not capable of being decomposed into anything more simple or ultimate by any means at present known; elementary; thus, atoms are regarded as simple bodies. Cf. Ultimate, a. Note: A simple body is one that has not as yet been decomposed. There are indications that many of our simple elements are still compound bodies, though their actual decomposition into anything simpler may never be accomplished.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Simple Sim"ple, v. i. To gather simples, or medicinal plants. As simpling on the flowery hills she [Circe] strayed. --Garth.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Simple Sim"ple, n. [F. See Simple, a.] 1. Something not mixed or compounded. ``Compounded of many simples.'' --Shak. 2. (Med.) A medicinal plant; -- so called because each vegetable was supposed to possess its particular virtue, and therefore to constitute a simple remedy. What virtue is in this remedy lies in the naked simple itself as it comes over from the Indies. --Sir W. Temple. 3. (Weaving) (a) A drawloom. (b) A part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom. 4. (R. C. Ch.) A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pendulum Pen"du*lum, n.; pl. Pendulums. [NL., fr. L. pendulus hanging, swinging. See Pendulous.] A body so suspended from a fixed point as to swing freely to and fro by the alternate action of gravity and momentum. It is used to regulate the movements of clockwork and other machinery. Note: The time of oscillation of a pendulum is independent of the arc of vibration, provided this arc be small. Ballistic pendulum. See under Ballistic. Compensation pendulum, a clock pendulum in which the effect of changes of temperature of the length of the rod is so counteracted, usually by the opposite expansion of differene metals, that the distance of the center of oscillation from the center of suspension remains invariable; as, the mercurial compensation pendulum, in which the expansion of the rod is compensated by the opposite expansion of mercury in a jar constituting the bob; the gridiron pendulum, in which compensation is effected by the opposite expansion of sets of rodsof different metals. Compound pendulum, an ordinary pendulum; -- so called, as being made up of different parts, and contrasted with simple pendulum. Conical or Revolving, pendulum, a weight connected by a rod with a fixed point; and revolving in a horizontal cyrcle about the vertical from that point. Pendulum bob, the weight at the lower end of a pendulum. Pendulum level, a plumb level. See under Level. Pendulum wheel, the balance of a watch. Simple or Theoretical, pendulum, an imaginary pendulum having no dimensions except length, and no weight except at the center of oscillation; in other words, a material point suspended by an ideal line.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(simpler, simplest) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you describe something as simple, you mean that it is not complicated, and is therefore easy to understand. ...simple pictures and diagrams. ...pages of simple advice on filling in your tax form... Buddhist ethics are simple but its practices are very complex to a western mind. ? complicated ADJ • simply When applying for a visa state simply and clearly the reasons why you need it. ADV: ADV with v 2. If you describe people or things as simple, you mean that they have all the basic or necessary things they require, but nothing extra. He ate a simple dinner of rice and beans. ...the simple pleasures of childhood... Nothing is simpler than a cool white shirt. ADJ • simply The living room is furnished simply with wicker furniture... ADV: ADV after v 3. If a problem is simple or if its solution is simple, the problem can be solved easily. Some puzzles look difficult but once the solution is known are actually quite simple... I cut my purchases dramatically by the simple expedient of destroying my credit cards. ADJ 4. A simple task is easy to do. The simplest way to install a shower is to fit one over the bath. = easy ADJ: oft ADJ to-inf • simply Simply dial the number and tell us your area. ADV: ADV with v 5. If you say that someone is simple, you mean that they are not very intelligent and have difficulty learning things. He was simple as a child. ADJ 6. You use simple to emphasize that the thing you are referring to is the only important or relevant reason for something. His refusal to talk was simple stubbornness. = plain ADJ: ADJ n [emphasis] 7. In grammar, simple tenses are ones which are formed without an auxiliary verb 'be', for example 'I dressed and went for a walk' and 'This tastes nice'. Simple verb groups are used especially to refer to completed actions, regular actions, and situations. Compare continuous. ADJ 8. In English grammar, a simple sentence consists of one main clause. Compare compound, complex. ADJ 9. see also simply

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sim'-p'l: In the Old Testament the uniform tranlation of the Hebrew word pethi (root pathah, "be open"). Like the English word "simple" (etymologically "of one fold"), the Hebrew pethi is used sometimes in a good sense, i.e. "open-minded" (Ps 19:7; 116:6; 119:130, possibly in all three cases the sense is neutral rather than positively good), and sometimes in a bad sense (Pr 7:7, parallel to "destitute of understanding"; Pr 8:5, parallel to "fools" (blockheads); Pr 14:15, opposed to prudent). The fundamental idea of pethi seems to be open to influence, i.e. easily influenced. That one open to influence should as a rule be classed with the irreligious is one of many instances in which language is an unwilling witness to the miasmatic moral atmosphere in which we live. The line between moral weakness and moral turpitude, between negative goodness (if indeed such a thing be conceivable) and positive badness, is soon passed.

In the New Testament the word "simple" is found only in Ro 16:18,19 the King James Version. In the first of these passages it is used to translate akakos (the Revised Version (British and American) "innocent"). In Heb 7:26 the King James Version the same word is rendered "harmless," the rendering of the Revised Version (British and American) in this instance being "guileless." This would suit Ro 16:18 better than "innocent." Guilelessness is not a synonym for gullibility; but the guileless are frequently the prey of designing men. In Ro 16:19 the word translated "simple" is akeraios, literally, "unmixed," "sincere" (Trench and Godet; Young, erroneously "hornless" and so "harmless"). "Uncontaminated" seems to be the idea of the apostle. He would have those to whom he wrote "wise as regards good" and not ignorant as regards evil--for that would be impossible, even if desirable--but without that kind of knowledge of evil that comes from engaging in it, as we say, mixing themselves up with it, unalloyed with evil.

W. M. McPheeters

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Single, uncombined, unmingled, uncompounded, unmixed, elementary, bare, mere, incomplex, unblended. 2. Plain, unadorned, unstudied, unaffected, unvarnished, natural, chaste, neat, unembellished. 3. Artless, undesigning, sincere, unaffected, unconstrained, frank, open, downright, inartificial, plain, single-minded, unsophisticated, straightforward, true, simple-hearted, simple-minded, naοve. 4. Silly, foolish, weak, credulous, shallow, unwise, unsophisticated, homely. 5. Unmistakable, clear, intelligible. II. n. Medicinal plant.

Moby Thesaurus

Attic, Bohemian, Ciceronian, Mickey Mouse, Spartan, a certain, absolute, aesthetic, affable, amateur, an, any, any one, arrested, artistic, artless, ascetic, asinine, atomic, austere, authentic, awkward, babbling, backward, bald, bare, base, basic, blankminded, blithering, bluff, blunt, bona fide, born yesterday, bovine, brainless, burbling, butt, callow, candid, card-carrying, casual, chaste, cheerful, childish, childlike, choice, chump, classic, classical, clean, clean-cut, clear, clear as crystal, clear as day, clear-cut, coherent, comfortable, common, commonplace, comprehensible, confiding, connected, consistent, cordial, cozy, crackbrained, cracked, crass, crazy, creamy, credulous, cretinistic, cretinous, crisp, crystal-clear, crystalline, cullible, cushy, deceivable, defined, definite, degage, delicate, deludable, dense, dim-witted, dinkum, direct, discreet, distinct, dithering, dopey, doting, driveling, drooling, dry, dull, dull-witted, dumb, dupable, dupe, easily understood, easy, easy as pie, easygoing, effortless, eggshell, either, elegant, elemental, elementary, empty, empty-headed, essential, everyday, excellent, exclusive, explicit, exploitable, express, facile, fall guy, familiar, fatuous, feebleminded, finished, flat, folksy, following the letter, foolable, foolish, forthright, frank, free and easy, friendly, fundamental, garden, garden-variety, gauche, genuine, glib, gloss, good, graceful, gracile, gracious, green, groping, guileless, gull, gullible, half-baked, half-witted, haymish, hoaxable, homelike, homely, homespun, homey, homish, homogeneous, honest, honest-to-God, hoodwinkable, household, humble, humble-looking, humble-visaged, humblest, humbugable, idiotic, ignorant, illiterate, imbecile, imbecilic, in good taste, inane, inartificial, incomplex, individual, indivisible, inexperienced, inexpert, inferior, informal, ingenu, ingenuous, inglorious, innocent, innocuous, insensate, integral, intelligible, intimate, iridescent, irreducible, irregular, know-nothing, lawful, lean, least, legitimate, lifelike, light, limpid, literal, lone, loose, loud and clear, low, lowest, lowliest, lowly, lucid, luminous, mark, matter-of-fact, maundering, mean, mellow, mentally defective, mentally deficient, mentally handicapped, mentally retarded, mere, mindless, modest, monadic, mongoloid, monistic, monolithic, moronic, mother-of-pearl, nacreous, naive, naked, natural, naturalistic, neat, nescient, nitwitted, nondescript, not all there, nothing to it, oafish, obtuse, of a piece, of choice, of quality, offhand, offhanded, one, opalescent, open, openhearted, ordinary, original, outspoken, painless, pale, pastel, patinaed, peaceful, pearly, pellucid, perfect, perspicuous, persuadable, pigeon, plain, plain-speaking, plain-spoken, pleasing, polished, poor, primal, primary, prosaic, prosing, prosy, pure, pure and simple, quiet, raw, real, realistic, refined, relaxed, restrained, retarded, righteous, rightful, round, royal, rustic, sad, sap, seduceable, semigloss, senseless, severe, sheer, silly, simon-pure, simple as ABC, simple-speaking, simplehearted, simpleminded, simpletonian, sincere, single, single-hearted, single-minded, singular, slobbering, slow, slow-witted, small, smooth, snug, sober, sociable, soft, soft-colored, soft-hued, softened, sole, solid, solitary, somber, spare, square, stark, sterling, straightforward, strange to, stupid, subdued, subnormal, subordinate, subservient, subtle, sucker, sure-enough, sweet, tasteful, teachable, tender, tentative, terse, thick, thickheaded, translucent, transparent, transpicuous, trim, true to life, true to nature, true to reality, trustful, trusting, unacquainted, unadorned, unadulterated, unaffected, unalloyed, unambiguous, unanalyzable, unapprized, unartificial, unassumed, unassuming, unburdensome, unceremonious, uncluttered, uncolored, uncomplicated, uncompounded, uncomprehending, unconcocted, unconfused, unconstrained, uncontrived, unconventional, unconversant, uncopied, uncounterfeited, undecorated, understandable, understated, undesigning, undifferenced, undifferentiated, undisguised, undisguising, undistinguished, undistorted, undivided, uneducated, unelaborate, unembellished, unenhanced, unenlightened, unequivocal, unexaggerated, unexperienced, unfabricated, unfamiliar, unfanciful, unfeigned, unfeigning, unfictitious, unflattering, unguarded, uniform, unilluminated, unimaginative, unimagined, unimitated, unimportant, uninformed, uninitiated, unintelligent, uninvented, uninvolved, unique, unitary, univocal, unknowing, unlabored, unmistakable, unmitigated, unmixed, unobtrusive, unofficial, unornamented, unostentatious, unpoetical, unposted, unpretended, unpretending, unpretentious, unqualified, unreserved, unripe, unromantic, unschooled, unsimulated, unsophisticated, unspecious, unstudied, unsure, unsuspicious, unsynthetic, untaught, untroublesome, unvarnished, unversed, unwary, unwitty, upright, vacuous, verbal, verbatim, veridical, verisimilar, victimizable, weak-minded, well-chosen, well-defined, whole, witless, word-for-word, workaday, workday