EXPLAIN • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Explain

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/ɪksplˈeɪn/ Listen

verb

Explain v. t. (past & past part. explained; pres. part. explaining)

To flatten; to spread out; to unfold; to expand. (Obs.) "The horse-chestnut is... ready to explain its leaf."

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."

To explain away, to get rid of by explanation. "Those explain the meaning quite away."

Synonyms: To expound; interpret; elucidate; clear up.

Explain v. i. To give an explanation.

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Etymology of 'Explain'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Explain" Quotes from Famous Books

... Theodore's treatment of foreigners, I will endeavour to explain the real cause of the misfortunes that befell Mr. Stern. That he was only the victim of circumstances, is a fact beyond any doubt. The extracts from his book and the notes from his diary, brought as charges against him, were only discovered several weeks after many cruelties had been ...

— A Narrative of Captivity in Abyssinia - With Some Account of the Late Emperor Theodore, - His Country and People • Henry Blanc

... pertaining to spiritual substances, by whom we are urged to good or evil; this pertains to the discernment of spirits. Moreover it extends to the direction of human acts, and this pertains to knowledge, as we shall explain further on (Q. 177). Accordingly we must first of all consider prophecy, and rapture which ...

— Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) • Thomas Aquinas

... his embarrassment, the judicial mind had been able to plume itself upon the penetration which had enabled it to detect something of doubtful odour about him from the first. "Kitty!" That word might explain so much—Rainham's long sojourns away ...

— A Comedy of Masks - A Novel • Ernest Dowson and Arthur Moore

... till she is older. She may then be able to suggest something herself. She will know at least how she feels, and explain ...

— Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know • Various

... to the details of construction of our space ship. Eyer will hold a couple of classes to explain everything. Then, when we've made things as clear as possible, Eyer and I will take off and get up to do our best to counteract the—whatever it is—that seems to be ruling the stratosphere. We'll do everything possible to hold the influences in check until you can send up ...

— Lords of the Stratosphere • Arthur J. Burks

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