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slain
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Slain

Slay \Slay\, v. t. [imp. Slew; p. p. Slain; p. pr. & vb. n. Slaying.] [OE. slan, sl?n, sleen, slee, AS. sle['a]n to strike, beat, slay; akin to OFries. sl[=a], D. slaan, OS. & OHG. slahan, G. schlagen, Icel. sl[=a], Dan. slaae, Sw. sl?, Goth. slahan; perhaps akin to L. lacerare to tear to pieces, Gr. ????, E. lacerate. Cf. Slaughter, Sledge a hammer, Sley.] To put to death with a weapon, or by violence; hence, to kill; to put an end to; to destroy.

With this sword then will I slay you both.
--Chaucer.

I will slay the last of them with the sword.
--Amos ix. 1.

I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk.
--Shak.

Syn: To kill; murder; slaughter; butcher.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
slain

early 13c., from Old English (ge)slegen, past participle of slean (see slay (v.)). The noun meaning "those who have been slain" is attested from mid-14c.

Wiktionary
slain

n. (qualifier: with "the") Those who have been killed. vb. (past participle of slay English)

WordNet
slain
  1. adj. killed; `slain' is formal or literary as in "slain warriors"; "a picture of St. George and the slain dragon"

  2. n. people who have been slain (as in battle)

slay
  1. v. kill intentionally and with premeditation; "The mafia boss ordered his enemies murdered" [syn: murder, hit, dispatch, bump off, polish off, remove]

  2. [also: slew, slain]

slain

See slay

Usage examples of "slain".

And in that same place was the fair lady Colombe slain, that was love unto Sir Lanceor.

And then within a little while he had slain half their horses and unhorsed them, and their horses ran in the fields and forest.

That were pity, said Sir Tristram, that so good a knight as he is should be slain so cowardly.

And there he had almost slain me, and from us he took his horse and departed, and in an evil time we met with him.

And there he told the damosels how cowardly King Mark had slain him, and Sir Bersules, his fellow.

And for that deed I appealed him of treason, and here am I slain in a righteous quarrel.

Then anon it was sprung to the king, and the queen, and to all the lords, that it was King Mark that had slain Sir Amant, and Sir Bersules afore hand.

Alas, alas, said Sir Launcelot, that I may not give thee one buffet for the love of Sir Tristram and of La Beale Isoud, and for the two knights that thou hast slain traitorly.

But for all this King Mark thought falsely, as it proved after, for he put Sir Tristram in prison, and cowardly would have slain him.

Wit ye well Sir Gawaine was wroth that Gaheris had slain his mother and let Sir Lamorak escape.

And sithen Sir Elias proffereth so largely, I shall fight with him, or else I will be slain in the field, or else I will deliver Cornwall from the old truage.

Then the Lady Anglides made great dole, and swooned, for she saw her lord slain afore her face.

So La Beale Isoud sent unto Anglides, the Prince Boudwin's wife, and bade her avoid lightly or else her young son, Alisander le Orphelin, should be slain When she heard this, she took her horse and her child.

Wit thou well, said Malgrin, that for this maiden's love, of this castle, I have slain ten good knights by mishap.

Sir Alisander overcame him with three strokes, and there would have slain him had he not yielded him.