Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Near by; at hand.
  • 2. Readily; willingly.
  • noun A bath, in any of the senses of that word.
  • noun A bagnio or brothel.
  • To bathe; wash.
  • To bathe one's self; take a bath.
  • etc. Obsolete spelling of bane, bone, etc.
  • Direct; near; short: as, that way's the bainest (banest).
  • 2. Ready; willing.
  • Limber; pliant; flexible.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A bath; a bagnio.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A bath.
  • adjective Ready; willing.
  • adjective Direct; near; short; gain.
  • adjective Limber; pliant; flexible.
  • adverb Readily; willingly.
  • adverb Nearby; at hand.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English bayne, baine, from Old French bain ("bath"), from Latin balneum ("bath, bath-house").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn ("direct, prompt"), from Old Norse beinn ("straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen"), from Proto-Germanic *bainaz (“straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhei- (“to hit, beat”). Cognate with Scots bein, bien ("in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen"), Icelandic beinn ("straight, direct, hospitable"), Norwegian bein ("straight, direct, easy to deal with"). See also bein.

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Examples

  • Your bain is by far THE BEST survival weapon availible.

    What's the Best Survival Weapon? 2009

  • Your bain is by far THE BEST survival weapon availible.

    What's the Best Survival Weapon? 2009

  • Among the inventions attributed to her is the double boiler commonly known as a bain-marie.

    Archive 2008-08-01 Peggy 2008

  • Among the inventions attributed to her is the double boiler commonly known as a bain-marie.

    Femina Habilisa and Maria the Alchemist Peggy 2008

  • Among the inventions attributed to her is the double boiler commonly known as a bain-marie.

    Femina Habilisa and Maria the Alchemist Peggy 2008

  • She is wearing a black maillot de bain, which is hidden beneath her paréo.

    Words in a French Life Kristin Espinasse 2007

  • And you get and tell May when she do come home, that 'tis particular glad I be for to know as her bain't took worse, nor nothing.

    Six Plays Florence Henrietta Fisher Darwin 1892

  • Traditionally, chocolate is melted in a manner which is called bain marie and involves either double boiler or a pan with a bowl on top of it.

    unknown title 2008

  • Traditionally, chocolate is melted in a manner which is called bain marie and involves either double boiler or a pan with a bowl on top of it.

    unknown title 2008

  • The only "bain" that I could think of was my standard 13x9 glass baking tray.

    Archive 2005-03-01 Nupur 2005

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