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simple

 [sim-puhl]   Origin

sim·ple

   [sim-puhl] adjective, -pler, -plest, noun
adjective
1.
easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.
2.
not elaborate or artificial; plain: a simple style.
3.
not ornate or luxurious; unadorned: a simple gown.
4.
unaffected; unassuming; modest: a simple manner.
5.
not complicated: a simple design.
EXPAND
6.
not complex or compound; single.
7.
occurring or considered alone; mere; bare: the simple truth; a simple fact.
8.
free of deceit or guile; sincere; unconditional: a frank, simple answer.
9.
common or ordinary: a simple soldier.
10.
not grand or sophisticated; unpretentious: a simple way of life.
11.
humble or lowly: simple folk.
12.
inconsequential or rudimentary.
13.
unlearned; ignorant.
14.
lacking mental acuteness or sense: a simple way of thinking.
15.
unsophisticated; naive; credulous.
16.
simpleminded.
17.
Chemistry.
a.
composed of only one substance or element: a simple substance.
b.
not mixed.
18.
Botany. not divided into parts: a simple leaf; a simple stem.
19.
Zoology. not compound: a simple ascidian.
20.
Music. uncompounded or without overtones; single: simple tone.
21.
Grammar. having only the head without modifying elements included: The simple subject of “The dappled pony gazed over the fence” is “pony.” Compare complete (def. 5).
22.
(of a verb tense) consisting of a main verb with no auxiliaries, as takes (simple present) or stood (simple past) (opposed to compound).
23.
Mathematics. linear (def. 7).
24.
Optics. (of a lens) having two optical surfaces only.
COLLAPSE
noun
25.
an ignorant, foolish, or gullible person.
26.
something simple, unmixed, or uncompounded.
27.
simples, Textiles. cords for controlling the warp threads in forming the shed on draw-looms.
28.
a person of humble origins; commoner.
29.
an herb or other plant used for medicinal purposes: country simples.

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Simple is always a great word to know.
So is coke. Does it mean:
the solid product resulting from the distillation of coal in an oven or closed chamber or by imperfect combustion, consisting principally of carbon
of or containing titanium, especially in the tetravalent state or three valence state
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Origin:
1175–1225; (adj.) Middle English < Old French < Late Latin simplus simple, Latin (in simpla pecunia simple fee or sum), equivalent to sim- one (see simplex) + -plus, as in duplus duple, double (see -fold); cognate with Greek háplos (see haplo-); (noun) Middle English: commoner, derivative of the adj.

Related forms
sim·ple·ness, noun
o·ver·sim·ple, adjective
o·ver·sim·ple·ness, noun
o·ver·sim·p·ly, adverb
sub·sim·ple, adjective
EXPAND
ul·tra·sim·ple, adjective
un·sim·ple, adjective
un·sim·ple·ness, noun
un·sim·p·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE

Can be confused: simple, simplified, simplistic.

Synonyms
1. clear, intelligible, understandable, unmistakable, lucid. 2. natural, unembellished, neat. 8. artless, guileless, ingenuous. 10. See homely. 12. trifling, trivial, nonessential, unnecessary. 13. untutored, stupid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To simple
Collins
World English Dictionary
simple (ˈsɪmpəl)
 
—adj
1.  not involved or complicated; easy to understand or do: a simple problem
2.  plain; unadorned: a simple dress
3.  consisting of one element or part only; not combined or complex: a simple mechanism
4.  unaffected or unpretentious: although he became famous, he remained a simple and well-liked man
5.  not guileful; sincere; frank: her simple explanation was readily accepted
6.  of humble condition or rank: the peasant was of simple birth
7.  weak in intelligence; feeble-minded
8.  (prenominal) without additions or modifications; mere: the witness told the simple truth
9.  (prenomina) ordinary or straightforward: a simple case of mumps
10.  chem (of a substance or material) consisting of only one chemical compound rather than a mixture of compounds
11.  maths
 a.  (of a fraction) containing only integers
 b.  (of an equation) containing variables to the first power only; linear
 c.  (of a root of an equation) occurring only once; not multiple
12.  biology
 a.  not divided into parts: a simple leaf; a simple eye
 b.  formed from only one ovary: simple fruit
13.  music relating to or denoting a time where the number of beats per bar may be two, three, or four
 
—n
14.  a simpleton; fool
15.  a plant, esp a herbaceous plant, having medicinal properties
 
[C13: via Old French from Latin simplex plain]
 
'simpleness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

simple
early 13c., "humble, ignorant," from O.Fr. simple, from L. simplus "single," variant of simplex (see simplex). Sense evolved to "lowly, common" (late 13c.), then "mere, pure" (c.1300). As opposite of composite it dates from 1425; as opposite of complicated it dates from
EXPAND
c.1555. Disparaging sense (mid-14c.) is from notion of "devoid of duplicity." Simply (adv.) in purely intensive sense is attested from 1590.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

SIMPLE definition


1. Early system on Datatron 200 series. Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959).
2. Simulation of Industrial Management Problems with Lots of Equations. R.K. Bennett, 1958. Predecessor to DYNAMO, for IBM 704.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

simple

see pure and simple.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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