From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Villain \Vil"lain\, adjective [F. vilain.] Villainous. [R.] --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Villain \Vil"lain\, noun [OE. vilein, F. vilain, LL. villanus, from villa a village, L. villa a farm. See {Villa}.]
1. (Feudal Law) One who holds lands by a base, or servile, tenure, or in villenage; a feudal tenant of the lowest class, a bondman or servant. [In this sense written also {villan}, and {villein}.]
If any of my ansectors was a tenant, and a servant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accidentally they become noble. --Jer. Taylor.
Note: Villains were of two sorts; villains regardant, that is, annexed to the manor (LL. adscripti gleb[ae]); and villains in gross, that is, annexed to the person of their lord, and transferable from one to another. --Blackstone.
2. A baseborn or clownish person; a boor. [R.]
Pour the blood of the villain in one basin, and the blood of the gentleman in another, what difference shall there be proved? --Becon.
3. A vile, wicked person; a man extremely depraved, and capable or guilty of great crimes; a deliberate scoundrel; a knave; a rascal; a scamp.
Like a villain with a smiling cheek. --Shak.
Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix. --Pope.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Villain \Vil"lain\, verb (used with an object) To debase; to degrade. [Obs.] --Sir T. More.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately [syn: {scoundrel}]
2: the principle bad character in a film or work of fiction [syn: {baddie}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
121 Moby Thesaurus words for "villain": Roscius, SOB, actor, actress, antagonist, antihero, bad guy, bad person, barnstormer, bastard, bit, bit part, blackguard, blighter, bounder, cad, caitiff, cast, character, character actor, character man, character woman, child actor, criminal, crook, cue, cur, deceiver, delinquent, devil, diseur, diseuse, dog, dramatizer, evildoer, fat part, feeder, felon, foil, gangster, heavy, hero, heroine, histrio, histrion, ingenue, juvenile, knave, lawbreaker, lead, lead role, leading lady, leading man, leading woman, lines, malefactor, malevolent, malfeasant, malfeasor, matinee idol, mime, mimer, mimic, miscreant, misfeasor, mobster, monologist, mummer, outlaw, pantomime, pantomimist, part, person, personage, piece, playactor, player, precious rascal, protagonist, protean actor, public enemy, racketeer, rapscallion, rascal, rat, reciter, reptile, rogue, role, rotter, scalawag, scamp, scoundrel, shyster, side, sinner, sneak, soubrette, spalpeen, stage performer, stage player, stooge, straight man, straight part, stroller, strolling player, supporting character, supporting role, theatrical, thespian, thief, title role, transgressor, trouper, utility man, viper, walk-on, walking part, worker of ill, wretch, wrongdoer
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