plainplain1 /pleɪn/ ●●● S2 W3 adjective 
It was plain that Giles was not going to agree. The advantages were plain to see. You have made your feelings plain enough. Let me make it plain (=state it clearly). We do not want you here.make yourself plain (=make what you are saying clear) If you do that again you will be severely punished. Do I make myself plain?as plain as day/the nose on your face (=very clear)2in plain English/language in clear and simple words, without using technical language: The document, written in plain English, tells you about your new policy.3simple without anything added or without decoration SYN simple: a plain white blouse a plain wooden table plain yoghurt a plain gold wedding ring Your essay should be written on plain paper (=paper with no lines on it).4honest showing clearly and honestly what is true or what you think about something SYN frank, candid: Let’s have some plain, truthful answers. I don’t know, and that’s the plain truth. The plain fact is people still buy books.5emphasis [only before noun] spoken used to emphasize that a particular type of behaviour, attitude etc is involved, usually a bad one: His motive was plain greed. When you told him his house was too cold that was just plain bad manners.6not beautiful not beautiful or attractive – often used because you want to avoid saying this directly: Mrs Jones was a rather plain woman.plain Jane (=used to talk about a woman who is not beautiful)7in plain clothes police officers in plain clothes are not wearing uniform → plain-clothes8(just) plain Mr/Mrs etc spoken used to show that someone does not have or use a special title: I don’t call him Uncle – just plain Bill.9be plain sailing to be very easy to do or achieve: If you can answer the first question, the rest of the test should be plain sailing.10in plain sight American English if something is in plain sight, it is easy to see or notice, especially when it should be hidden: Don’t leave your valuables in plain sight.—plainness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSplain without anything added, or without decoration: · a plain shirt· The fireplace was plain apart from a small design at the top.simple not having a lot of decoration or unnecessary things, but attractive: · She was wearing a simple black dress.· The accommodation is simple but clean.austere very plain and with very little decoration, or very little in it – used about a room or place that does not make you feel welcome: · He dreaded having dinner in that austere dining room.· The building was grey and a little austere.· the austere beauty and grandeur of mountain sceneryspartan plain and without anything that would make life easier or more comfortable – used especially about rooms, conditions, or ways of living: · Her apartment is quite spartan.· They had a very spartan life.stark very plain in a surprising way, with very little colour or decoration – used about rooms and places: · Sam sat looking at the stark white walls.· It is a landscape of stark beauty.bare empty, or not covered by any decorations: · Her office seemed very bare now that her desk had gone.· He was tired of looking at the bare walls of his prison cell.
WORD ORIGINplain1
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French, Latin planus ‘flat, level, clear’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- plain vanilla ice cream
- a plain blue suit
- Catherine, who had been rather plain as a child, was now an attractive young woman.
- Do you have any plain white shirts?
- He put the letter in a plain brown envelope.
- Miles was the plain one in an otherwise good-looking family.
- She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.
- The chapel was a small, plain, white-washed building.
- The document is written in plain English.
- Cool for 1 minute, then trim using a plain pastry cutter which is slightly larger than the biscuits.
- Fit a plain glass or polaroid filter over the lens Load the cassette into the camcorder in dust-free conditions.
- Once again, the desirability of clear terms of contract, coupled perhaps with an unambiguous job description, is plain.
- Or is it just plain indifference?
- Stuffed hard-boiled eggs, most often called deviled eggs, can be spicy, plain or very exotic.
- The company makes plain and sweet biscuits and soda crackers.
THESAURUS
without anything added, or without decoration: · a plain shirt· The fireplace was plain apart from a small design at the top.
not having a lot of decoration or unnecessary things, but attractive: · She was wearing a simple black dress.· The accommodation is simple but clean.
very plain and with very little decoration, or very little in it – used about a room or place that does not make you feel welcome: · He dreaded having dinner in that austere dining room.· The building was grey and a little austere.· the austere beauty and grandeur of mountain scenery
plain and without anything that would make life easier or more comfortable – used especially about rooms, conditions, or ways of living: · Her apartment is quite spartan.· They had a very spartan life.
very plain in a surprising way, with very little colour or decoration – used about rooms and places: · Sam sat looking at the stark white walls.· It is a landscape of stark beauty.
empty, or not covered by any decorations: · Her office seemed very bare now that her desk had gone.· He was tired of looking at the bare walls of his prison cell.
Longman Language Activatorclear and easy to understand · The instructions aren't really clear.clear on/about · Children need clear rules about what is allowed and what isn't· You're not allowed to use a dictionary in this exam. The rules are quite clear on this point.clear to somebody · It may be clear to you, but I haven't got a clue what it means.crystal clear (=extremely clear) · Though he didn't say anything directly his meaning was crystal clear.
language, instructions etc that are plain are easy to understand because there is nothing difficult or unnecessary in them that might be confusing: · She spoke slowly and carefully, using plain simple language.· The document is written in plain English.
having only one possible meaning and therefore clear: · Safety guidelines need to be plain and unambiguous.· In last night's speech, the president finally made an unambiguous statement on the issue of taxes.
: explicit instructions/account/warning etc expressed very clearly and including every detail, so that no part of your meaning is hidden: · Mr Beazley left explicit instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed.· I don't quite understand -- could you be a bit more explicit?explicit about: · He's not being very explicit about his plans, is he?
formal so clear that the meaning or intention cannot be mistaken or doubted: · The European Parliament has given the plan its unequivocal support.· The answer to our request was an unequivocal "no".· This time his father was unequivocal: "You're getting no more money from me, and that's final.''
formal if you expressly state something, you state it very clearly and firmly, usually in writing: expressly state something: · Although it's not expressly stated in your contract, you are expected to attend weekend training sessions.· It is expressly stated in the sales agreement that the buyer is to pay for any home inspection.expressly forbid something: · The new law expressly forbids the importation of radioactive waste.
not having a lot of decoration or things added: simple food, clothes, or designs do not have a lot of decoration or unnecessary things added, but they are usually attractive or enjoyable: · She wore a simple black dress.· The meal was simple, but delicious.
: plain food, clothes, or designs do not have anything added or any decoration, and may be a little boring: · He put the letter in a plain brown envelope.· Do you have any plain white shirts?· The chapel was a small, plain, white-washed building.
: basic food, rooms, or designs only have the necessary features, and do not include things that make them more comfortable, more attractive etc : · Some of the hotels in the mountains are pretty basic.· The basic model costs £30,000, which includes insurance and car tax.· basic cooking utensils
a room or building that is austere is not decorated, has very little and very plain furniture, and is usually uncomfortable: · Students ate in an austere hall built by New England Puritans.· The crematorium chapel was cold and austere.
spartan conditions or ways of living are simple and without any comfort: · The accommodation is pretty spartan, so take extra blankets and bedding.· It was a spartan existence, with no running water or electricity.
something, especially a room, that has a stark appearance has no decorations and looks uncomfortable: · The waiting room was stark, with hard, stiff chairs and lit by a single lightbulb.· stark chrome furniture
the attractive quality of being simple, and not having a lot of decoration or things added: · The jacket follows the lines of the body with graceful simplicity.· Van Gogh was attracted to the beauty and simplicity of a common table or kitchen chair.
informal plain or simple with nothing special or unnecessary added: · The Lodge is nothing fancy -- just a row of cottages huddled on the side of a hill overlooking the sea. · This was his favourite meal. Nothing fancy, just steak and salad.
a no-frills shop, restaurant, or service provides only the things that you really need and nothing else: · The meeting was held at a no-frills hotel 30 minutes from corporate headquarters. · Try the smaller, no-frills airlines for cheap late flights.
when methods, systems, explanations, or words are not complicated not complicated, and therefore easy to understand: · Speak slowly and use simple words so that everyone understands.· His children find European numbering simpler than the Chinese system.· There must be a perfectly simple explanation.be simple to do something: · Many vegetarian meals are delicious and simple to prepare.keep/make something simple: · The secret of successful dinner parties? Keep it simple.
simple - use this especially about explanations, instructions, and methods which contain nothing difficult or unexpected: · The new networking system is fairly straightforward - you shouldn't have any problems.· There are two straightforward ways of achieving this result.
simple and without any unnecessary features that could cause problems or confuse you: · Tom can now carry out uncomplicated tasks without help.· There are several basic techniques to learn, but they are uncomplicated enough to be mastered in one session.
a method or process that is unsophisticated is very simple compared to the most modern ones: · It may be a pretty unsophisticated system, but it has worked well for over fifty years.· In comparison with modern methods, it seems an incredibly slow and unsophisticated way of making cars.
needing only simple skills or knowledge to do or understand: · She had difficulty with even the most elementary tasks.· an elementary course in word-processing
English that people can easily understand, without any difficult or confusing words: in plain English: · I wish they'd write in plain English, instead of all this business jargon.· 'The theory of informed consent'? What does that mean, in plain English?
a rough and ready system, calculation, way of doing something etc uses a quick, simple method but ignores small details and therefore does not produce a completely perfect result: · Here are my calculations. They're a little rough and ready as yet, but you'll get a general idea.· Justice was administered in a rough and ready fashion, without using courts or juries.
not good-looking not nice to look at - use this as a less direct way of saying someone is unattractive: · He's a nice guy, but not very good-looking.
not nice to look at and not sexually attractive in a physical way: · Like many teenage girls, she was worried that she was unattractive.· He wasn't a particularly attractive man, but there was something about him that women liked.find somebody unattractive (=think that someone is unattractive): · She was crazy about Carl, and couldn't understand why we found him unattractive.
someone who is plain , especially a woman, is not ugly but is not at all good-looking: · Catherine, who had been rather plain as a child, was now an attractive young woman.· Miles was the plain one in an otherwise good-looking family.
American someone who is homely is not at all good-looking: · The waitress was a homely girl from Kansas.· Brad was a serious boy, very ordinary-looking but not downright homely.
if you say that someone is not much to look at , you mean that they are not good-looking, especially when other things about them are attractive: · Edward's not much to look at, but he has a great personality.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Let me make it plain (=state it clearly). We do not want you here. Your essay should be written on plain paper (=paper with no lines on it). I don’t know, and that’s the plain truth. The plain fact is people still buy books. leaflets written in plain English (=English that is easy to understand)
Let me make it plain (=state it clearly). We do not want you here. (=make what you are saying clear) If you do that again you will be severely punished. Do I make myself plain?
If you do that again you will be severely punished. Do I make myself plain? (=very clear)
Your essay should be written on plain paper (=paper with no lines on it). I don’t know, and that’s the plain truth. The plain fact is people still buy books. (=used to talk about a woman who is not beautiful)
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=ordinary clothes that the police wear in order not to be recognized)· He was arrested by officers in plain clothes.
(=very obviously sensible)· Locking your doors at night is simple common sense.
(=a particular way of doing business) a reputation for fair dealing
a reputation for fair dealing leaflets written in plain English (=English that is easy to understand) (=without anything added or without decoration)· He liked eating simple food, nothing spicy.
(=with nothing written or printed on it)· The package was wrapped in plain brown paper.
· She wore a plain gold ring.
(=the truth, with nothing added, left out, or hidden)· The simple truth is that there isn’t enough money to pay for it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· You can even use a word processor, as long as it will let you save the files as plain text.· Timothy wouldn't want a woman as plain as she.· Frans Hals had painted portraits of girls who could only be described as plain, but something lively and piquant redeemed them.· It is as plain and simple as that.· I can remember that as plain as anything, coming over there.· It is important to make this as plain as possible because it is so tentative.· Amongst a hundred persons, the lover stands out as plain as the shining moon in heaven amongst the stars.· But music types in Manhattan and Hollywood say that they can see a country act as plain as a barn door.
· Soporific or just plain asleep commentators.· Moby gorges on brutal love and just plain not caring.· Are you on the side of progress, or just plain old protest for its own sake?· All of that, and their shows are giddy, engaging, lighthearted and just plain fun.· Where everything was just plain and simple, laughing and joking the norm.· But Mr Manion, some people are just plain miserable all the time.· Was it an accident, was I pushed, or was I just plain stupid?· City growth proponents denounced their opponents as mean-spirited, power-hungry, and just plain stupid.
· I made it quite plain he would go before she did, and I rather think he has accepted the statusquo.· But what Godolphin saw seemed quite plain to him.· Yet market buildings, even when they are quite plain, are usually attractive features of a town.· But then she was no longer classed as a shop assistant, Mrs Miller had made that quite plain.· Not quite right, not quite plain enough or narrow enough, but getting there.· The design is quite plain, similar to that of an old wooden target arrow.· The answer seemed to her quite plain.· The Gestapo captain had made his feelings about Kruger quite plain, accusing him of wasting the Gestapo's time.
· But the dressmaker had obviously decided it was too plain and added a few frills to liven it up a bit.· He was afraid that his emotions were too plain on his face.· Hadn't Rourke made that all too plain?· To avoid this looking too plain and the break-off rows being very abrupt try using a small pattern to divide the colours.· The look that had passed between the Empress and Brien fitzCount was all too plain now.· The idea of breaking into the Colonel's den never occurred to me - it was just too plain terrifying.
· When he married her, she was a reserved, very plain girl who played the harp in a provincial symphony orchestra.· The capitals on the columns are very plain.· But their styles were really very dissimilar and that became very plain from the moment really that Mr Callaghan took over.· I ran for Congress in Wyoming and was whipped by a very plain but prominently named man.· Rooms are very plain, shared facilities only, but quite spacious.· Visitors to Crufts and other shows will know that these metal-sided stalls are usually left very plain.· She made it very plain what she wanted.· And she makes it very plain that she doesn't see the fun of cooking for me!
NOUN· Spread white chocolate layer over plain chocolate in tin, then add remaining chocolate layer.· Cool. 4 Melt the white and plain chocolate in separate bowls over hot water.· Chill until set. 3 Melt the remaining plain chocolate and the white chocolate in separate bowls over hot water.· Melt the remaining plain chocolate in a pan with the cream.· Why couldn't those concerned realize that plain chocolate combined best with ice-cream?· Mix cheeses. melt plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
· Behind them in a doorway is a man wearing plain clothes and dark glasses.· Normal stores have security people dressed in such plain clothes you wonder how they can afford to do any shopping.· In the morning, she rose early and dressed in her plainest clothes, flounces and frills had no place in business.· We recruit uniformed officers into plain clothes so that people like yourself, who are being eliminated, won't feel under pressure.· They were in plain clothes and, in his opinion, drunk, arrogant and overpowering.· Female speaker We've got extra foot patrols in uniform and plain clothes to prevent an attack and to pick up information.· Mr Montesinos was escorted by agents in plain clothes into a helicopter shortly after arriving at Lima airport.· In uniform and in plain clothes, roughly 50 were on different shifts asking each shopper for more information.
· When putting the ring together I alternate the segments marked face up then plain face up to create a balanced pattern.· A smile lit up her plain face as Juliet approached.· The smile melted from the fat, plain face when Blanche introduced herself.· With a fierce look on her tough, plain face.· This small, uninteresting woman with short greying hair and a plain face?
· For the plain fact is, we are saying many different things.· The plain fact was that a combination of market forces and gross mismanagement had thrown Salomon Brothers into deep trouble.· The plain fact is that there are steps that Cleveland should be taking to improve the way that it manages education spending.· The plain fact was she had been terrified by her own reflection, and this was not lightly to be dismissed.· The plain fact is, however, that behaviour, whether it is deliberate or not, always influences people.· He asserted the plain fact of the existence of differences in taste.· He'd told Willi the plain facts.· The plain fact is that us women are fussy.
· Thicken towards the end of cooking if necessary with plain flour mixed with a little water and a few drops of bottled gravy browning.· Appendix B Recipes for play dough Mix plain flour and water with a little salt.· Sift the strong plain flour into a warm mixing bowl.
· Fit a plain glass or polaroid filter over the lens Load the cassette into the camcorder in dust-free conditions.· Glass with coffee pots and metal and found magazine pictures and glass with just plain glass.· The original stained glass window was destroyed by vandals in the 1960s and replaced by a plain glass one.· The lenses were of plain glass.
· Start at base of face. 2 Knit three rows of plain knitting.· Once you have completed a few rows of plain knitting, you can prepare to start.· Continue in plain knitting with dark colour.· When this happens, knit four rows of plain knitting.· Knit a few rows of plain knitting and prepare to try Card No. 18.
· Article 5 imposes the plain language requirement and the obligation to interpret ambiguities in the way most favourable to the consumer.· A weekly publication that analyzes some 1, 700 different stocks, Value Line is written in plain language.· We shall use plain language in all our dealings with you and provide clear statements of terms and conditions.· This is an entertaining book that explains the basics of buying stock with colorful illustrations and plain language.· Our subsequent telephone conversation was a study in plain language, but McFarlane held his ground and made no apologies.
· Therefore, the letter was on plain paper.· Displaying the results Smart presentation of results should always be done on plain paper.· All this information must also be included on captions, and if plain paper is being used the address should be added.
· But it's not all plain sailing.· I recognized that all would not be plain sailing.· But it wasn't going to be all plain sailing.· However, it was not all plain sailing.· Mind you, it was not all plain sailing for the Merseyside comic making her Liverpool debut in the role.· Get the mitres right and the rest is plain sailing.
· Thou shalt not leave illegal things lying around in plain sight.
· Not long ago, email was a strictly plain text affair.· It would all require a massive decipherment, a conversion to plain text.· Remember to load and save the file in plain text mode.· Mostly you get reams of plain text.· You can even use a word processor, as long as it will let you save the files as plain text.· The data transferred may be plain text, hypertext, images, or anything else.· If we only allow ourselves plain text as input, the output is always something of a guess.· Save it as plain text to a file named pon.cli.
· Because Sandtoft are producing the very first machine made clay plain tile to match the Humberside pantile.· So at last you can specify profiled and plain tiles together.· Plus the plain tile eave coursing so often seen with pantile roofs in the North East.· However, it was necessary to renew the roof covering of clay plain tiles with identical material.· Tiles are less durable than slates, but good quality clay plain tiles can easily last for sixty years.· Some concrete and clay plain tiles originally intended for roofing can also be used for cladding walls.
· The plain truth was that he hadn't witnessed what was going on behind him.· The whole place was undeniably fouled; but there was another plain truth which was worse than this: she was home.· That is not a metaphor, it is the plain truth.· But the plain truth is that we can not say what was really done for the children or what the results were.· But they contain more plain truth than he is able to recognise.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1clear very clear, and easy to understand or recognize SYN obviousit is plain (that)- And being Lord Aviemore is just like being plain Mr Aviemore, right?
- Cluedo's Reverend Green is to become plain Mr Green to bring one of the country's best-loved board games up to date.
- Get the mitres right and the rest is plain sailing.
- I recognized that all would not be plain sailing.
- In any event, it will not be plain sailing.
- Roderick Conway Morris says it's not going to be plain sailing.
- I couldn't believe they'd left the drugs and needles right out in plain sight.
- Thou shalt not leave illegal things lying around in plain sight.
- A weekly publication that analyzes some 1, 700 different stocks, Value Line is written in plain language.
- Our subsequent telephone conversation was a study in plain language, but McFarlane held his ground and made no apologies.
- In uniform and in plain clothes, roughly 50 were on different shifts asking each shopper for more information.
- Large men in plain clothes and short haircuts had wanted to know his business.
- Mr Montesinos was escorted by agents in plain clothes into a helicopter shortly after arriving at Lima airport.
- They were in plain clothes and, in his opinion, drunk, arrogant and overpowering.
It was plain that Giles was not going to agree. The advantages were plain to see. You have made your feelings plain enough. Let me make it plain (=state it clearly). We do not want you here.make yourself plain (=make what you are saying clear) If you do that again you will be severely punished. Do I make myself plain?as plain as day/the nose on your face (=very clear)2in plain English/language in clear and simple words, without using technical language: The document, written in plain English, tells you about your new policy.3simple without anything added or without decoration SYN simple: a plain white blouse a plain wooden table plain yoghurt a plain gold wedding ring Your essay should be written on plain paper (=paper with no lines on it).4honest showing clearly and honestly what is true or what you think about something SYN frank, candid: Let’s have some plain, truthful answers. I don’t know, and that’s the plain truth. The plain fact is people still buy books.5emphasis [only before noun] spoken used to emphasize that a particular type of behaviour, attitude etc is involved, usually a bad one: His motive was plain greed. When you told him his house was too cold that was just plain bad manners.6not beautiful not beautiful or attractive – often used because you want to avoid saying this directly: Mrs Jones was a rather plain woman.plain Jane (=used to talk about a woman who is not beautiful)7in plain clothes police officers in plain clothes are not wearing uniform → plain-clothes8(just) plain Mr/Mrs etc spoken used to show that someone does not have or use a special title: I don’t call him Uncle – just plain Bill.9be plain sailing to be very easy to do or achieve: If you can answer the first question, the rest of the test should be plain sailing.10in plain sight American English if something is in plain sight, it is easy to see or notice, especially when it should be hidden: Don’t leave your valuables in plain sight.—plainness noun [uncountable]THESAURUSplain without anything added, or without decoration: · a plain shirt· The fireplace was plain apart from a small design at the top.simple not having a lot of decoration or unnecessary things, but attractive: · She was wearing a simple black dress.· The accommodation is simple but clean.austere very plain and with very little decoration, or very little in it – used about a room or place that does not make you feel welcome: · He dreaded having dinner in that austere dining room.· The building was grey and a little austere.· the austere beauty and grandeur of mountain sceneryspartan plain and without anything that would make life easier or more comfortable – used especially about rooms, conditions, or ways of living: · Her apartment is quite spartan.· They had a very spartan life.stark very plain in a surprising way, with very little colour or decoration – used about rooms and places: · Sam sat looking at the stark white walls.· It is a landscape of stark beauty.bare empty, or not covered by any decorations: · Her office seemed very bare now that her desk had gone.· He was tired of looking at the bare walls of his prison cell.