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.