PLAIN (3)

plain (3)|plainly. Plain, or Plainly, ad. sincerely, clearly, bluntly

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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. 1. Without elevations or depressions; flat; level; smooth; even. See Plane.
The crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Isa. xl. 4. 2. 2. Open; clear; unencumbered; equal; fair.
Our troops beat an army in plain fight. Felton. 3. 3. Not intricate or difficult; evident; manifest; obvious; clear; unmistakable. “'T is a plain case.” Shak.
4. 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.
Plain battle, open battle; pitched battle. 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. 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. Syn. — Level; flat; smooth; open; artless; unaffected; undisguised; frank; sincere; honest; candid; ingenuous; unembellished; downright; blunt; clear; simple; distinct; manifest; obvious; apparent. See Manifest.