Crossword clues for simplest
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Simple \Sim"ple\, a. [Compar. Simpler; superl. Simplest.] [F., fr. L. simplus, or simplex, gen. simplicis. The first part of the Latin words is probably akin to E. same, and the sense, one, one and the same; cf. L. semel once, singuli one to each, single. Cg. Single, a., Same, a., and for the last part of the word cf. Double, Complex.]
Single; not complex; not infolded or entangled; uncombined; not compounded; not blended with something else; not complicated; as, a simple substance; a simple idea; a simple sound; a simple machine; a simple problem; simple tasks.
Plain; unadorned; as, simple dress. ``Simple truth.''
--Spenser. ``His simple story.''
--Burns.-
Mere; not other than; being only.
A medicine . . . whose simple touch Is powerful to araise King Pepin.
--Shak. -
Not given to artifice, stratagem, or duplicity; undesigning; sincere; true.
Full many fine men go upon my score, as simple as I stand here, and I trust them.
--Marston.Must thou trust Tradition's simple tongue?
--Byron.To be simple is to be great.
--Emerson. -
Artless in manner; unaffected; unconstrained; natural; inartificial;; straightforward.
In simple manners all the secret lies.
--Young. Direct; clear; intelligible; not abstruse or enigmatical; as, a simple statement; simple language.
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Weak in intellect; not wise or sagacious; of but moderate understanding or attainments; hence, foolish; silly. ``You have simple wits.''
--Shak.The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
--Prov. xiv. 15. -
Not luxurious; without much variety; plain; as, a simple diet; a simple way of living.
Thy simple fare and all thy plain delights.
--Cowper. -
Humble; lowly; undistinguished.
A simple husbandman in garments gray.
--Spenser.Clergy and laity, male and female, gentle and simple made the fuel of the same fire.
--Fuller. (BOt.) Without subdivisions; entire; as, a simple stem; a simple leaf.
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(Chem.) Not capable of being decomposed into anything more simple or ultimate by any means at present known; elementary; thus, atoms are regarded as simple bodies. Cf. Ultimate, a.
Note: A simple body is one that has not as yet been decomposed. There are indications that many of our simple elements are still compound bodies, though their actual decomposition into anything simpler may never be accomplished.
(Min.) Homogenous.
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(Zo["o]l.) Consisting of a single individual or zooid; as, a simple ascidian; -- opposed to compound.
Simple contract (Law), any contract, whether verbal or written, which is not of record or under seal.
--J. W. Smith.
--Chitty.Simple equation (Alg.), an equation containing but one unknown quantity, and that quantity only in the first degree.
Simple eye (Zo["o]l.), an eye having a single lens; -- opposed to compound eye.
Simple interest. See under Interest.
Simple larceny. (Law) See under Larceny.
Simple obligation (Rom. Law), an obligation which does not depend for its execution upon any event provided for by the parties, or is not to become void on the happening of any such event.
--Burrill.Syn: Single; uncompounded; unmingled; unmixed; mere; uncombined; elementary; plain; artless; sincere; harmless; undesigning; frank; open; unaffected; inartificial; unadorned; credulous; silly; foolish; shallow; unwise.
Usage: Simple, Silly. One who is simple is sincere, unaffected, and inexperienced in duplicity, -- hence liable to be duped. A silly person is one who is ignorant or weak and also self-confident; hence, one who shows in speech and act a lack of good sense. Simplicity is incompatible with duplicity, artfulness, or vanity, while silliness is consistent with all three. Simplicity denotes lack of knowledge or of guile; silliness denotes want of judgment or right purpose, a defect of character as well as of education.
I am a simple woman, much too weak To oppose your cunning.
--Shak.He is the companion of the silliest people in their most silly pleasure; he is ready for every impertinent entertainment and diversion.
--Law.
Wiktionary
a. (en-superlative of: simple)
Usage examples of "simplest".
In the simplest case, that of the unicellular animals, the cell divides, giving rise to two animals, each of which divides again, producing four, and these again, giving eight, etc.
Here we will concentrate on the simplest independent pronominal elements.
It might be inferred that the proper method of study would be to confine our attention largely to the simplest forms of life, since the problems would be here less complicated, and therefore of easier solution.
But apparently the process is of the simplest character and involves no greater mystery than chemical affinity.
We may either direct our attention to the simplest organisms where all secondary machinery is wanting, or to the smallest parts into which the tissues of higher organisms can be resolved and yet retain their life properties.
In either way we may hope to find living phenomena in its simplest form independent of secondary machinery.
In the simplest form of life in which vital manifestations are found are we to attribute these properties simply to chemical forces of the living substance, or must we here too attribute them to the action of a complicated machinery?
But suppose, on the other hand, that we find this simplest bit of living matter is not a chemical compound, but is in itself a complicated machine.
Suppose that, after reducing this vital substance to its simplest type, we find that the substance with which we are dealing not only has complex chemical structure, but that it also possesses a large number of structural parts adapted to each other in such a way as to work together in the form of an intricate mechanism.
The problem of the origin of the simplest form of life would then be no longer one of chemical but one of mechanical evolution.
It is plain then that the question of whether we can attribute the properties of the simplest type of life to chemical composition or to mechanical structure is more than a formal one.
It was the simplest thing that had life, and indeed the only thing that had life, for there is no life outside of cells and protoplasm.
While the study of plants and animals was showing scientists that natural forces would explain the origin of more complex types from simpler ones through the law of natural selection, here in this conception of protoplasm was a theory which promised to show how the simplest forms may have been derived from the non-living.
It is not protoplasm, but cell substance, plus cell nucleus, which forms the simplest basis of life.
These simplest life processes are so marvelous and involve the action of such an intricate mass of machinery that we can no longer retain our earlier notion of protoplasm as the physical basis of life.