Cain

¹

[keyn]

noun

1. (in the Bible) the first son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel.

2. a murderer.

Cain

²

[keyn]

noun

1. James M., 1892–1977, U.S. novelist.

cain

³

Scot., kane

[keyn]

noun

Scot. and Irish English.

1. rent paid in kind, especially a percentage of a farm crop.

Cain

¹

/ keɪn /

noun

1. the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1–16)

2. 1. to cause a commotion

   2. to react or protest heatedly

cain

²

/ keɪn /

noun

1. history (in Scotland and Ireland) payment in kind, usually farm produce paid as rent

Other Word Forms

• Cainism noun
• Cainitic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cain¹

Middle English ( Scots ) cane, from Scots Gaelic; compare Old Irish cáin “statute, law, rent”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cain¹

C12: from Scottish Gaelic cāin rent, perhaps ultimately from Late Latin canōn tribute (see _canon ); compare Middle Irish cāin law

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. raise Cain,

   1. become angry or violent.

      He'll raise Cain when he finds out I lost his watch.

   2. to behave in a boisterous manner; cause a disturbance.

      The students raised Cain while the teacher was out.

see raise Cain.

Example Sentences

Member Jeff Cain grabbed the opportunity to reimagine the surrounding slopes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Johnson was confronted with his own leaked messages at the inquiry on Tuesday, in which he had told advisers Dominic Cummings and Lee Cain at the time that the DfE needed "better ministers".

Read more on BBC

Fox News host Will Cain called him a “threat to Western civilization” immediately after the interview aired.

Read more on Salon

“We regard the gardens as the soul of the project,” said Jonathan Goldstein, chief executive of Cain.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Cain is a book critic and the author of the memoir “This Boy’s Faith: Notes From a Southern Baptist Upbringing.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times