pains

See also: Pains, PAINs, and PAINS

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peɪnz/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪnz
• Homophone: panes

Noun

pains

1. plural of pain

Noun

pains pl (plural only)

2. Trouble taken doing something; attention to detail; careful effort.
   • [1877], Anna Sewell, “A London Cab Horse”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 158:

     Captain went out in the cab all the morning. Harry came in after school to feed me and give me water. In the afternoon I was put into the cab. Jerry took as much pains to see if the collar and bridle fitted comfortably, as if he had been John Manly over again.

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.

Derived terms

• at pains
• go to pains
• painstaking
• take pains, take great pains

 

Translations

trouble taken to do something

• Latin: opera (la) f

Verb

pains

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of pain

Anagrams

• IP SAN, Pisan, Spain, aspin, nipas, pinas, piñas, spina

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɛ̃/

Noun

pains m

1. plural of pain

Anagrams

• pinas, pisan, Pisan, sapin

Middle French

Noun

pains m

1. plural of pain