pain

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French peine, from Latin poena, from Greek poinē payment, penalty; akin to Greek tinein to pay, tinesthai to punish, Avestan kaēnā revenge, Sanskrit cayate he revenges Date: 14th century 1. punishment 2. a. usually 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. plural the throes of childbirth 4. plural trouble, care, or effort taken to accomplish something <

was at pains to reassure us

> 5. one that irks or annoys or is otherwise troublesome — often used in such phrases as pain in the neck • painless adjective • painlessly adverb • painlessness noun II. verb Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to make suffer or cause distress to ; hurt 2. archaic to put (oneself) to trouble or exertion intransitive verb 1. archaic suffer 2. to give or have a sensation of pain