Plagium, plā′ji-um, n. the crime of kidnapping.
Plague, plāg, n. any great natural evil: a deadly disease or pestilence: a very troublesome person or thing, esp. a malignant kind of contagious fever, prevailing epidemically, characterised by buboes, or swellings of the lymphatic glands, by carbuncles and petechiæ.—v.t. to infest with disease or trouble: to harass or annoy:—pr.p. plāg′uing; pa.t. and pa.p. plāgued.—ns. Plague′-mark, -spot, a mark or spot of plague or foul disease: a place where disease is constantly present; Plag′uer, one who plagues, vexes, or annoys; Plague′-sore.—adv. Plag′uily, vexatiously.—adj. Plaguy (plā′gi), vexatious: (Shak.) troublesome.—adv. vexatiously.—Plague on, may a curse rest on.—Be at the plague, to be at the trouble. [O. Fr. plague—L. plaga, a blow; Gr. plēgē.]
Plaice, plās, n. a broad, flat fish, in the same genus as the flounder. [O. Fr. plaïs (Fr. plie)—Low L. platessa, a flat fish—Gr. platys, flat.]
Plaid, plad, or plād, n. a loose outer garment of woollen cloth, often of a tartan, or coloured striped pattern, a special dress of the Highlanders of Scotland.—adj. like a plaid in pattern or colours.—adj. Plaid′ed, wearing a plaid: made of plaid cloth.—n. Plaid′ing, a strong woollen twilled fabric. [Gael. plaide, a blanket, contr. of peal-laid, a sheepskin—peall, a skin, cog. with L. pellis, Eng. fell.]
Plain, plān, v.t. and v.i. to complain: to lament.—ns. Plain′ant, one who complains: a plaintiff; Plain′ing (Shak.), complaint. [O. Fr. pleigner (Fr. plaindre)—L. plangĕre, to lament.]
Plain, plān, adj. without elevations, even, flat: level, smooth, without obstructions: free from difficulties, easy, simple: without ornament or beauty, homely: artless: sincere: evident, unmistakable: mere: not coloured, figured, or variegated: not highly seasoned, natural, not cooked or dressed: not trumps at cards.—n. an extent of level land: an open field.—adv. clearly: distinctly.—v.t. (obs.) to make plain.—n.pl. Plain′-clothes, clothes worn by an officer when off duty or not in uniform.—ns. Plain′-cook, one able to cook all ordinary dishes; Plain′-deal′er, one who deals or speaks his mind plainly.—adj. Plain′-deal′ing, speaking or acting plainly, candid.—n. candid speaking or acting, sincerity.—adj. Plain′-heart′ed, having a plain or honest heart: sincere.—n. Plain′-heart′edness.—adv. Plain′ly.—ns. Plain′ness; Plain′-song, the music of a recitative-like character and sung in unison, used in the Christian Church of the West from the earliest times, and still in use in all R.C. churches: a simple air without variations: a plain unvarnished statement; Plain′-speak′ing, straight-forwardness or bluntness of speech.—adj. Plain′-spok′en, speaking with plain, rough sincerity.—n.pl. Plain′stanes (Scot.), flagstones, pavement.—n. Plain′work, plain needlework, as distinguished from embroidery.—Plain as a pikestaff, perfectly plain or clear. [Fr.,—L. plānus, plain.]
Plaint, plānt, n. lamentation: complaint: a sad song: (law) the exhibiting of an action in writing by a complainant.—adj. Plaint′ful, complaining: expressing sorrow.—n. Plaint′iff (Eng. law), one who commences a suit against another—opp. to Defendant.—adj. Plaint′ive, complaining: expressing sorrow: sad.—adv. Plaint′ively.—n. Plaint′iveness.—adj. Plaint′less, without complaint: unrepining. [O. Fr. pleinte (Fr. plainte)—L. planctus—plangĕre, planctum, to lament.]
Plaise, plās, n. Same as Plaice.
Plaister, plās′tėr, n. an obsolete form of plaster.
Plait, plāt, n. a fold: a doubling over, as of cloth upon itself: a braid.—v.t. to fold: to double in narrow folds: to interweave.—adj. Plait′ed, folded over in narrow folds: braided: interwoven: intricate.—ns. Plait′er, one who plaits or braids: a machine for making plaits, as in cloth; Plait′ing, the act of making plaits. [O. Fr. pleit, ploit (Fr. pli)—L. plicāre, -ātum, to fold.]