plaint

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

plaint, n. [OE. plainte, pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L. plangere, planctum (plancta, fem. p. p.), to beat, beat the breast, lament. Cf. Complain, Plague, Plangent.].

•  Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation; complaint; hence, a mournful song; a lament.  [1913 Webster]
•  An accusation or protest on account of an injury.  [1913 Webster]

  "There are three just grounds of war with Spain: one of plaint, two upon defense."  [1913 Webster]
•  A private memorial tendered to a court, in which a person sets forth his cause of action; the exhibiting of an action in writing.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

plaint, n.
1 Brit. Law an accusation; a charge.
2 literary or archaic a complaint; a lamentation.

Etymology

ME f. OF plainte fem. past part. of plaindre, and OF plaint f. L planctus (as PLAIN(2))

THESAURUS

plaint

accusal, accusation, accusing, allegation, allegement, arraignment, bawl, bill of particulars, blame, bringing of charges, bringing to book, charge, complaint, count, cry, delation, denouncement, denunciation, dolorous tirade, groan, howl, impeachment, implication, imputation, indictment, information, innuendo, insinuation, jeremiad, keen, lament, lawsuit, laying of charges, moan, murmur, mutter, outcry, planctus, prosecution, reproach, scream, sob, suit, taxing, tirade, true bill, ululation, unspoken accusation, veiled accusation, wail, wail of woe, whimper, whine, yawp, yowl

ROGET THESAURUS

plaint

Lamentation

N lament, lamentation, wail, complaint, plaint, murmur, mutter, grumble, groan, moan, whine, whimper, sob, sigh, suspiration, heaving, deep sigh, cry, scream, howl, outcry, wail of woe, ululation, frown, scowl, tear, weeping, flood of tears, fit of crying, lacrimation, lachrymation, melting mood, weeping and gnashing of teeth, plaintiveness, languishment, condolence, mourning, weeds, willow, cypress, crape, deep mourning, sackcloth and ashes, lachrymatory, knell, deep death song, dirge, coronach, nenia, requiem, elegy, epicedium, threne, monody, threnody, jeremiad, jeremiade, ullalulla, mourner, grumbler, Noobe, Heraclitus, lamenting, in mourning, in sackcloth and ashes, sorrowing, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, lachrymose, plaintive, plaintful, querulous, querimonious, in the melting mood, threnetic, in tears, with tears in one's eyes, with moistened eyes, with watery eyes, bathed in tears, dissolved in tears, like Niobe all tears, elegiac, epicedial, de profundis, les larmes aux yeux, Int, heigh-ho!, alas!, alack!, O dear!, ah me!, woe is me!, lackadaisy!, well a day!, lack a day!, alack a day!, wellaway!, alas the day!, O tempora O mores!, what a pity!, miserabile dictu!, O lud lud!, too true!, tears standing in the eyes, tears starting from the eyes, eyes suffused, eyes swimming, eyes brimming, eyes overflowing with tears, if you have tears prepare to shed them now, interdum lacrymae pondera vocis habent, strangled his language in his tears, tears such as angels weep.

Cry

N cry, voice, hubbub, bark, vociferation, outcry, hullabaloo, chorus, clamor, hue and cry, plaint, lungs, stentor, crying, clamant, clamorous, vociferous, stentorian, open-mouthed.