[pain] n [ME, fr. OF peine, fr. L poena, fr. Gk poine payment, penalty; akin to Gk tinein to pay, tinesthai to punish, Av kaena revenge, Skt cayate he revenges] (14c) 1: punishment
2. 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: grief 3 pl: the throes of childbirth
4. pl: trouble, care, or effort taken for the accomplishment of something "was at ~s 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 adj -- pain.less.ly adv -- pain.less.ness n -- on pain of or under pain of : subject to penalty or punishment of "ordered not to leave the country on pain of death"
[2]pain vt (14c) 1: to make suffer or cause distress to: hurt
2. archaic: to put (oneself) to trouble or exertion ~ vi 1 archaic: suffer
2: to give or have a sensation of pain