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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Explain \Ex*plain"\ ([e^]ks*pl[=a]n"), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Explained}([e^]ks*pl[=a]nd"); 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.
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |