n.
Pronunciation: ' vi-l ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English vilain, vilein, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin villanus, from Latin villa
Date: 14th century
1 : VILLEIN
2 : an uncouth person : BOOR
3 : a deliberate scoundrel or criminal
4 : a character in a story or play who opposes the hero
5 : one blamed for a particular evil or difficulty <automation as the villain in job ⋯ displacement ― M. H. Goldberg>