to+explain

См. также в других словарях:

• explain — 1 Explain, expound, explicate, elucidate, interpret, construe are comparable when they mean to make oneself or another understand the meaning of something. Explain, the most general term, implies a making of something plain or intelligible to… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

• explain oneself — {v. phr.} 1. To make your meaning plainer; make your first statement clear. * /When we didn t understand Fritz, he went on to explain himself./ 2. To give a good reason for something you did or failed to do which seems wrong. * /When Jack brought …   Dictionary of American idioms

• explain oneself — {v. phr.} 1. To make your meaning plainer; make your first statement clear. * /When we didn t understand Fritz, he went on to explain himself./ 2. To give a good reason for something you did or failed to do which seems wrong. * /When Jack brought …   Dictionary of American idioms

• Explain — Ex*plain ([e^]ks*pl[=a]n ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Explained}([e^]ks*pl[=a]nd ); p. pr. & vb. n. {Explaining}.] [L. explandare to flatten, spread out, explain; ex out + plandare to make level or plain, planus plain: cf. OF. esplaner, explaner. See… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• explain — [ek splān′, iksplān′] vt. [ME explanen < L explanare, to flatten < ex , out + planare, to make level < planus, level (see PLANE2): sp. infl. by PLAIN1] 1. to make clear, plain, or understandable 2. to give the meaning or interpretation… …   English World dictionary

• explain — (v.) early 15c., from L. explanare to make level, smooth out; also to explain, make clear (see EXPLANATION (Cf. explanation)). Originally explane, spelling altered by influence of plain. In 17c., occasionally used more literally, of the unfolding …   Etymology dictionary

• explain away something — explain away (something) to invent reasons why something is unimportant. You will find it hard to explain away all these mistakes. Rather than face the truth, we try to explain it away …   New idioms dictionary

• explain away — (something) to invent reasons why something is unimportant. You will find it hard to explain away all these mistakes. Rather than face the truth, we try to explain it away …   New idioms dictionary

• explain — ► VERB 1) make clear by giving a detailed description. 2) give a reason or justification for. 3) (explain oneself) excuse or justify one s motives or conduct. 4) (explain away) minimize the significance of (something awkward) by giving an excuse… …   English terms dictionary

• Explain — Ex*plain , v. i. To give an explanation. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• explain — I verb account for, annotate, assign a meaning to, cause to be understood, clarify, clear of obscurity, clear up, decipher, define, demonstrate, describe, disentangle, elucidate, enlighten, enucleate, exemplify, expedire, explanare, explicate,… …   Law dictionary