Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state or quality of being plain
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality or state of being plain.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun uncountable The condition of being
plain (in all senses) - noun countable The product or result of being plain
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the state of being unmixed with other material
- noun clarity as a consequence of being perspicuous
- noun an appearance that is not attractive or beautiful
- noun the appearance of being plain and unpretentious
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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There are two differing roots for this term: Some claim it refers to the plainness of vanilla ice cream as opposed to those who like more adventurous flavors; others believe it comes from techno-culture, where a “vanilla” PC means a very basic machine, without bells and whistles.
Come Hither Dr. Gloria G. Brame 2000
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There are two differing roots for this term: Some claim it refers to the plainness of vanilla ice cream as opposed to those who like more adventurous flavors; others believe it comes from techno-culture, where a “vanilla” PC means a very basic machine, without bells and whistles.
Come Hither Dr. Gloria G. Brame 2000
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There are two differing roots for this term: Some claim it refers to the plainness of vanilla ice cream as opposed to those who like more adventurous flavors; others believe it comes from techno-culture, where a “vanilla” PC means a very basic machine, without bells and whistles.
Come Hither Dr. Gloria G. Brame 2000
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I think Presbyterians have erred in plainness in ecclesiastical life.
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Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her! [
Shakespearean Tragedy Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth 1893
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And this effect was enhanced by what may be called his plainness, his awkwardness, and actual eccentricity in many minor matters.
Abraham Lincoln Godfrey Rathbone Benson Charnwood 1904
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At this I fairly lost all patience, and gave the Graf my opinion of his conduct in terms the plainness of which left nothing to be desired.
Stories By English Authors: Italy (Selected by Scribners) James Payn 1864
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Under this virtue may come plainness, which is not to be curious in the order as to answer a letter, as if you were to answer to interrogatories.
Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter and Some Poems Ben Jonson 1605
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The author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake talks about her affinity for "plainness," why she avoids book reviews, and her new collection of short stories.
Jhumpa Lahiri 2008
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The author of Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake talks about her affinity for "plainness," why she avoids book reviews, and her new collection of short stories.
Jhumpa Lahiri 2008
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