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

[ 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. raise Cain
   raise Cain
   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 Words From

• Cainism noun
• Cain·it·ic [key-, nit, -ik], 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.

More idioms and phrases containing Cain

see raise Cain .

Example Sentences

It remained unclear throughout Thursday if Cummings would follow Cain out the door.

From Fortune

Eventually, we dismissed the crew, and Cain took me to an ATM and advised me, “Never take out more money than you are willing to lose.”

From Ozy

Cain then excused himself to the men, grabbed his coat and walked me out.

From Ozy

Cain played a few hands and introduced me to about 50 people, all of whom he seemed to have intimate knowledge of.

From Ozy

After a while, we returned to the front desk, where we picked up the crew and headed to Cain’s room.

From Ozy

As Claire Cain Miller of The New York Times points out, “workplaces could be seen as paying women to put off childbearing.”

From The Daily Beast

He brought me a box of James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler paperbacks, and I said, “Which one should I start with?”

From The Daily Beast

Mundt had settled for Santorum after her first choice, Herman Cain, dropped out of the race.

From The Daily Beast

Herman Cain walked out on stage wearing a gold, slightly metallic tie.

From The Daily Beast

Herman Cain is just awaiting a sign like the one handed down to him in 2011.

From The Daily Beast

In one of them, descriptive of antediluvial history, is a painting of Lamech shooting Cain with a bow and arrow.

From Project Gutenberg

At the touch, brutus trembled with hate; at the order, his countenance fell like Cain's.

From Project Gutenberg

That was what Chrysophrasia meant with her disgusting personalities about Cain and Abel.

From Project Gutenberg

Again, if discussion was fruitful of results with Abel, must it be the same with Cain?

From Project Gutenberg

When the light held out until late, they had time to visit old Paris with the books of Georges Cain for guides.

From Project Gutenberg