plaint.

1. An expression of sorrow or complaint, especially as a cry or lament.

2. A formal statement initiating or setting out a legal complaint, especially a civil claim.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• mournful plaint
• plaint of a mourner

On the page

A mournful plaint rose from the room above the chapel.

He heard the mourner's plaint through the rain on the window.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Forms: Singular plaint; plural plaints. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.