Plaint \Plaint\, n. [OE. plainte, pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L.
   plangere, planctum (plancta, fem. p. p.), to beat, beat the
   breast, lament. Cf. Complain, Plague, Plangent.]
   1. Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation; complaint;
      hence, a mournful song; a lament. --Chaucer."The
      Psalmist's mournful plaint." --Wordsworth.
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   2. An accusation or protest on account of an injury.
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            There are three just grounds of war with Spain: one
            of plaint, two upon defense.          --Bacon.
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   3. (Law) A private memorial tendered to a court, in which a
      person sets forth his cause of action; the exhibiting of
      an action in writing. --Blackstone.
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	plaint
    n 1: (United Kingdom) a written statement of the grounds of
         complaint made to court of law asking for the grievance to
         be redressed
    2: a cry of sorrow and grief; "their pitiful laments could be
       heard throughout the ward" [syn: lament, lamentation,
       plaint, wail]

	

	55 Moby Thesaurus words for "plaint":
   accusal, accusation, accusing, allegation, allegement, arraignment,
   bawl, bill of particulars, blame, bringing of charges,
   bringing to book, charge, complaint, count, cry, delation,
   denouncement, denunciation, dolorous tirade, groan, howl,
   impeachment, implication, imputation, indictment, information,
   innuendo, insinuation, jeremiad, keen, lament, lawsuit,
   laying of charges, moan, murmur, mutter, outcry, planctus,
   prosecution, reproach, scream, sob, suit, taxing, tirade,
   true bill, ululation, unspoken accusation, veiled accusation, wail,
   wail of woe, whimper, whine, yawp, yowl

	

	PLAINT, Eng. law. The exhibiting of any action, real or personal, in 
writing; the party making his plaint is called the plaintiff.