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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Explain \Ex*plain"\ ([e^]ks*pl[=a]n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
{Explained}([e^]ks*pl[=a]nd"); 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.]
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The horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its
leaf. --Evelyn.
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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.
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Commentators to explain the difficult passages to
you. --Gay.
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{To explain away}, to get rid of by explanation. "Those
explain the meaning quite away." --Pope.

Syn: To expound; interpret; elucidate; clear up.
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Explain \Ex*plain"\, v. i.
To give an explanation.
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