1 definition found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Explain \Ex*plain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Explained}; p. pr &
vb n. {Explaining}.] [L. explandare to flatten, spread out
explain; ex out+plandare to make level or plain, planus
plain: cf OF esplaner explaner. See {Plain},a., and cf
{Esplanade}.]
1. To flatten; to spread out to unfold; to expand. [Obs.]
The horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its
leaf. --Evelyn.
2. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of
obscurity; to expound; to unfold and illustrate the
meaning of as to explain a chapter of the Bible.
Commentators to explain the difficult passages to
you --Gay.
{To explain away}, to get rid of by explanation. ``Those
explain the meaning quite away.'' --Pope.
Syn: To expound; interpret; elucidate; clear up
more about explained
browse words by letter
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
or search
thesauri
dictionary
search words
|
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
|
