plain
♦ plain /pl'eɪn/ (plainer plainest plains)
1 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
A plain object, surface, or fabric is entirely in one colour and has no pattern, design, or writing on it.
In general, a plain carpet makes a room look bigger...
He wore a plain blue shirt, open at the collar.
2 [ADJ]
Something that is plain is very simple in style.
Bronwen's dress was plain but it hung well on her...
≠ fancy, elaborate
● plainly [ADV] ADV -ed
He was very tall and plainly dressed.
3 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ that
If a fact, situation, or statement is plain, it is easy to recognize or understand.
It was plain to him that I was having a nervous breakdown...
He's made it plain that he loves the game and wants to be involved still.
see also plain-spoken
= clear
4 [ADJ]
If you describe someone as plain, you think they look ordinary and not at all beautiful.
...a shy, rather plain girl with a pale complexion.
5 [N-COUNT]
A plain is a large flat area of land with very few trees on it.
Once there were 70 million buffalo on the plains.
6 [ADV] ADV adj
You can use plain before an adjective in order to emphasize it.
The food was just plain terrible.
[ADJ] ADJ n
Plain is also used before a noun.
Is it love of publicity or plain stupidity on her part?
7 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If a police officer is in plain clothes, he or she is wearing ordinary clothes instead of a police uniform.
Three officers in plain clothes told me to get out of the car.
plain sailing: see sailingflood plain (flood plains)
also floodplain
[N-COUNT]
A flood plain is a flat area on the edge of a river, where the ground consists of soil, sand, and rock left by the river when it floods.plain choco|late
[N-UNCOUNT]
Plain chocolate is dark brown chocolate that has a stronger and less sweet taste than milk chocolate. (BRIT; in AM, use dark chocolate)plain flour
[N-UNCOUNT]
Plain flour is flour that does not make cakes and biscuits rise when they are cooked because it has no chemicals added to it. (BRIT; in AM, use all-purpose flour)
1 [ADJ] usu ADJ n
A plain object, surface, or fabric is entirely in one colour and has no pattern, design, or writing on it.
In general, a plain carpet makes a room look bigger...
He wore a plain blue shirt, open at the collar.
2 [ADJ]
Something that is plain is very simple in style.
Bronwen's dress was plain but it hung well on her...
≠ fancy, elaborate
● plainly [ADV] ADV -ed
He was very tall and plainly dressed.
3 [ADJ] usu v-link ADJ, oft it v-link ADJ that
If a fact, situation, or statement is plain, it is easy to recognize or understand.
It was plain to him that I was having a nervous breakdown...
He's made it plain that he loves the game and wants to be involved still.
see also plain-spoken
= clear
4 [ADJ]
If you describe someone as plain, you think they look ordinary and not at all beautiful.
...a shy, rather plain girl with a pale complexion.
5 [N-COUNT]
A plain is a large flat area of land with very few trees on it.
Once there were 70 million buffalo on the plains.
6 [ADV] ADV adj
You can use plain before an adjective in order to emphasize it.
The food was just plain terrible.
[ADJ] ADJ n
Plain is also used before a noun.
Is it love of publicity or plain stupidity on her part?
7 [PHRASE] v-link PHR, PHR after v
If a police officer is in plain clothes, he or she is wearing ordinary clothes instead of a police uniform.
Three officers in plain clothes told me to get out of the car.
plain sailing: see sailingflood plain (flood plains)
also floodplain
[N-COUNT]
A flood plain is a flat area on the edge of a river, where the ground consists of soil, sand, and rock left by the river when it floods.plain choco|late
[N-UNCOUNT]
Plain chocolate is dark brown chocolate that has a stronger and less sweet taste than milk chocolate. (BRIT; in AM, use dark chocolate)plain flour
[N-UNCOUNT]
Plain flour is flour that does not make cakes and biscuits rise when they are cooked because it has no chemicals added to it. (BRIT; in AM, use all-purpose flour)