- canto fermo
- 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}.
[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]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
