- the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1–16)
- raise Cain ⇒
- to cause a commotion
- to react or protest heatedly
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Cain /keɪn/ n
cain
(kān),USA pronunciation n.
Cain1 (kān),USA pronunciation n.
Cain•it•ic
(kā nit′ik),USA pronunciation adj.
Cain2 (kān),USA pronunciation n.
- Scottish Termsrent paid in kind, esp. a percentage of a farm crop.
- Scots Gaelic; compare Old Irish cáin statute, law, rent
- Middle English (Scots) cane
Cain1 (kān),USA pronunciation n.
- Biblethe first son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel. Gen. 4.
- a murderer.
- Idioms raise Cain, [Slang.]
- Idiomsbecome angry or violent:He'll raise Cain when he finds out I lost his watch.
- Idiomsto behave in a boisterous manner; cause a disturbance:The students raised Cain while the teacher was out.
Cain2 (kān),USA pronunciation n.
- Biographical James M., 1892–1977, U.S. novelist.
'Cain' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):