adj. & n.
--adj.
1. easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty (a simple explanation; a simple task).
2 not complicated or elaborate; without luxury or sophistication.
3 not compound; consisting of or involving only one element or operation etc.
4 absolute, unqualified, straightforward (the simple truth; a simple majority).
5 foolish or ignorant; gullible, feeble-minded (am not so simple as to agree to that).
6 plain in appearance or manner; unsophisticated, ingenuous, artless.
7 of low rank; humble, insignificant (simple people).
8 Bot. a consisting of one part. b (of fruit) formed from one pistil.
--n. archaic 1 a herb used medicinally.
2 a medicine made from it.
Phrases and idioms:
simple eye an eye of an insect, having only one lens. simple fracture a fracture of the bone only, without a skin wound. simple harmonic motion see HARMONIC. simple interest interest payable on a capital sum only (cf. compound interest (see COMPOUND)). simple interval Mus. an interval of one octave or less. simple machine any of the basic mechanical devices for applying a force (e.g. an inclined plane, wedge, or lever). simple sentence a sentence with a single subject and predicate. Simple Simon a foolish person (from the nursery-rhyme character). simple time Mus. a time with two, three, or four beats in a bar.
Derivatives:
simpleness n.
Etymology: ME f. OF f. L simplus