Main Entry:

¹pain

Pronunciation:

\ˈpān\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French peine, from Latin poena, from Greek poinē payment, penalty; akin to Greek tinein to pay, tinesthai to punish, Avestan kaēnā revenge, Sanskrit cayate he revenges

Date:

14th century

1: punishment2 a: usu. localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder (as a disease or an injury) ; also : a basic bodily sensation induced by a noxious stimulus, received by naked nerve endings, characterized by physical discomfort (as pricking, throbbing, or aching), and typically leading to evasive action b: acute mental or emotional distress or suffering : grief3plural : the throes of childbirth4plural : trouble, care, or effort taken to accomplish something <was at pains to reassure us>5: one that irks or annoys or is otherwise troublesome —often used in such phrases as pain in the neck

— pain·less \-ləs\ adjective

— pain·less·ly adverb

— pain·less·ness noun

— on pain of or under pain of

: subject to penalty or punishment of <made to leave the country on pain of death>