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• cain
  cain

  noun

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

  noun

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

cain

¹ American  

[keyn] / keɪn /

Scot., kane

noun

Scot. and Irish English.

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

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Cain ² American  

[keyn] / keɪn /

noun

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

2. a murderer.

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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.

Cain ³ American  

[keyn] / keɪn /

noun

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

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Cain ¹ British  

/ 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

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cain ² British  

/ keɪn /

noun

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

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Cain More Idioms  

1. see raise Cain.

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Other Word Forms

• Cainism
  noun
• Cainitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cain

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cain Cain

We nearly had him, but he deserted and got across the line, and since then he has been raising all kinds of cain in government affairs.

From The Thunder Bird by B. M. Bower

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From The Most Ancient Lives of Saint Patrick Including the Life by Jocelin, Hitherto Unpublished in America, and His Extant Writings by James O'Leary

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

The modern woman has learned it is a club that raises cain.

From Modern Eloquence: Vol III, After-Dinner Speeches P-Z by Various

You ought to see him raising cain over his mask being lost.

From Jimmy Kirkland and the Plot for a Pennant by Hugh S. Fullerton

Serena Cain, 50, travelled from Norfolk to hike up the mountain with her partner for his 56th birthday.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

Over the next year, Cain, Reyes and Baker grew closer as fellow members of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group, bonding over their desire to preserve the town’s historic character, especially its Victorian homes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

But Cain, an interior decorator for 25 years, wasn’t daunted by the chaos that came with such an extensive project.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Edwards: “You two are like sisters. You used to be like brothers — Cain and Abel.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Cain went still, and for a moment, she could have sworn his eyes glowed like coals.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas