Hypertext Webster Gateway: "explaining"

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.

Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup

Enter word here:
Exact Approx

dict.stokkie.net
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents; see the Webster Gateway FAQ, and also the Back-end/database links and credits.