Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Simple
Sim′ple
,Adj.
[
Com
par.
Simpler
; sup
erl.
Simplest
.] 1.
Single; not complex; not infolded or entangled; uncombined; not compounded; not blended with something else; not complicated;
as, a
simple
substance; a simple
idea; a simple
sound; a simple
machine; a simple
problem; simple
tasks.2.
Plain; unadorned;
“Simple truth.” as,
. simple
dressSpenser.
“His simple story.” Burns.
3.
Mere; not other than; being only.
A medicine . . . whose
Is powerful to araise King Pepin.
simple
touchIs powerful to araise King Pepin.
Shakespeare
4.
Not given to artifice, stratagem, or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; true.
Full many fine men go upon my score, as
simple
as I stand here, and I trust them. Marston.
Must thou trust Tradition’s
simple
tongue? Byron.
To be simple is to be great.
Emerson.
5.
Artless in manner; unaffected; unconstrained; natural; inartificial;; straightforward.
In
simple
manners all the secret lies. Young.
6.
Direct; clear; intelligible; not abstruse or enigmatical;
as, a
. simple
statement; simple
language7.
Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; of but moderate understanding or attainments; hence, foolish; silly.
“You have simple wits.” Shak.
The
simple
believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going. Prov. xiv. 15.
8.
Not luxurious; without much variety; plain;
as, a
. simple
diet; a simple
way of livingThy
simple
fare and all thy plain delights. Cowper.
9.
Humble; lowly; undistinguished.
A
simple
husbandman in garments gray. Spenser.
Clergy and laity, male and female, gentle and
simple
made the fuel of the same fire. Fuller.
10.
(BOt.)
Without subdivisions; entire;
as, a
. simple
stem; a simple
leaf11.
(Chem.)
Not capable of being decomposed into anything more simple or ultimate by any means at present known; elementary; thus, atoms are regarded as simple bodies. Cf.
Ultimate
, Adj.
☞ A simple body is one that has not as yet been decomposed. There are indications that many of our simple elements are still compound bodies, though their actual decomposition into anything simpler may never be accomplished.
12.
(Min.)
Homogenous.
13.
(Zool.)
Consisting of a single individual or zooid;
as, a
. simple
ascidian; – opposed to compound
Simple contract
(Law)
, any contract, whether verbal or written, which is not of record or under seal.
J. W. Smith.
Chitty.
– Simple equation
(Alg.)
, an equation containing but one unknown quantity, and that quantity only in the first degree.
– Simple eye
(Zool.)
, an eye having a single lens; – opposed to
– compound eye
. Simple interest
. See under
– Interest
. Simple larceny
. (Law)
See under
– Larceny
. Simple obligation
(Rom. Law)
, an obligation which does not depend for its execution upon any event provided for by the parties, or is not to become void on the happening of any such event.
Burrill.
Syn. – Single; uncompounded; unmingled; unmixed; mere; uncombined; elementary; plain; artless; sincere; harmless; undesigning; frank; open; unaffected; inartificial; unadorned; credulous; silly; foolish; shallow; unwise.
– Simple
, Silly
. One who is simple is sincere, unaffected, and inexperienced in duplicity, – hence liable to be duped. A silly person is one who is ignorant or weak and also self-confident; hence, one who shows in speech and act a lack of good sense. Simplicity is incompatible with duplicity, artfulness, or vanity, while silliness is consistent with all three. Simplicity denotes lack of knowledge or of guile; silliness denotes want of judgment or right purpose, a defect of character as well as of education. I am a
To oppose your cunning.
simple
woman, much too weakTo oppose your cunning.
Shakespeare
He is the companion of the
silliest
people in their most silly
pleasure; he is ready for every impertinent entertainment and diversion. Law.
1.
Something not mixed or compounded.
“Compounded of many simples.” Shak.
2.
(Med.)
A medicinal plant; – so called because each vegetable was supposed to possess its particular virtue, and therefore to constitute a simple remedy.
What virtue is in this remedy lies in the naked
simple
itself as it comes over from the Indies. Sir W. Temple.
3.
(Weaving)
(a)
A drawloom.
(b)
A part of the apparatus for raising the heddles of a drawloom.
4.
(R. C. Ch.)
A feast which is not a double or a semidouble.
Sim′ple
,Verb.
I.
To gather simples, or medicinal plants.
As
simpling
on the flowery hills she [Circe] strayed. Garth.
Webster 1828 Edition
Simple
SIM'PLE
,Adj.
1.
Single; consisting of one thing; uncompounded; unmingled; uncombined with any thing else; as a simple substance; a simple idea; a simple sound.2.
Plain; artless; not given to design, stratagem or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; harmless. A simple husbandman in garments gray.3.
Artless; unaffected; unconstrained; inartificial; plain. In simple manners all the secret lies.4.
Unadorned; plain; as a simple style or narration; a simple dress.5.
Not complex or complicated; as a machine of simple construction.6.
Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; silly. The simple believeth every word; but the prudent looketh well to his going. Prov. 14.7.
In botany, undivided, as a root, stem or spike; only one on a petiole, as a simple leaf; only one on a peduncle, as a simple flower; having only one set of rays, as an umbel; having only one row of leaflets, as a simple calyx; not plumose or fathered, as a pappus. A simple body, in chemisty, is one that has not been decomposed, or separated into two or more bodies.SIM'PLE
,Noun.
SIM'PLE
,Verb.
I.