(in the Bible) the first son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel.
a murderer.
the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1–16)
to cause a commotion
to react or protest heatedly
Middle English ( Scots ) cane, from Scots Gaelic; compare Old Irish cáin “statute, law, rent”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dungalach, son of Faelghus, Grandson of just Nadfraech, Was the first who transgressed Patrick's cain from the beginning.
From The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings by O'Leary, James
You ought to see him raising cain over his mask being lost.
From Jimmy Kirkland and the Plot for a Pennant by Fullerton, Hugh S.
Uncle Marion sho cain give yo a helpin good luck hand.
From Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Arkansas Narratives, Part 4 by Work Projects Administration
It had been there two weeks, and he didn't know what in cain to do with it.
From Tempest and Sunshine by Holmes, Mary Jane
The modern woman has learned it is a club that raises cain.
From Modern Eloquence: Vol III, After-Dinner Speeches P-Z by Various
At one event, in which Oz was interviewed by Dean Cain, an actor who played Superman in a 1990s television show, about 50 people listened in as Oz droned on about an anti-fraud task force.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
Veda’s story unfolds in “Mildred Pierce,” the classic James M. Cain novel and 1945 Joan Crawford film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
“Half of college graduates in New York City are either foreign born or come from immigrant households,” Miller told Fox’s Will Cain.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
An adaptation of the 1941 novel by James M. Cain, directed by Michael Curtiz, the film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including best picture, with Crawford winning for her lead performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
More cheers rose up to meet them as Cain waved the flag for everyone to see.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
