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Free from guilt; innocent. The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Ex. xx. 7.

urnishing the aid; as, he gave me a help of fifty dollars. Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Ps. lx. 11. God is . . . a very present help in trouble. Ps. xlvi. 1. Virtue is a friend and a help to nature. South.

d shall hold me. Ps. cxxxix. 10. They all hold swords, being expert in war. Cant. iii. In vain he seeks, that having can not hold. Spenser. France, thou mayst hold a serpent by the tongue, . . . A fasting tiger safer by the tooth, Than keep in peace that hand which thou dost hold. Shak.

Of no account; useless; vain; trifling; unprofitable; thoughtless; silly; barren. "Deserts idle." Shak. Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matt. xii. 36. Down their idle weapons dropped. Milton. This idle story became important. Macaulay.

In a idle manner; ineffectually; vainly; lazily; carelessly; (Obs.) foolishly.

A stupid, ignorant person; a vain pretender to knowledge; a dunce. An ignoramus in place and power. South.

To invoke evil upon; to curse; to swear at. In vain we blast the ministers of Fate, And the forlorn physicians imprecate. Rochester.

Without effect; in vain. Hereford . . . had been besieged for abouineffectually by the Scots. Ludlow.

-- followed by with. Infuse his breast with magnanimity. Shak. Infusing him with self and vain conceit. Shak.

Uselessness; the quality of being unprofitable; unprofitableness; as, the inutility of vain speculations and visionary projects.

Incapable of being wounded, or of receiving injury. Neither vainly hope To be invulnerable in those bright arms. Milton.

Vain boasting or assertions repeated to the prejudice of another's right; false claim. Mozley & W.

Idle babbling; vain disputation. From which some, having swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling. 1 Tim. i. 6.

it. Lovelace. The Lars and Lemures moan with midnight plaint. Milton. Looking backward in vain toward their Lares and lands. Longfellow.

me beside the still waters. Ps. xxiii. 2. This thought might lead me through the world's vain mask. Content, though blind, had I no better guide. Milton.

easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile; as, a light, vain person; a light mind. There is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person than profanely to scoff at religion. Tillotson.

ip; hence, to add weight to, so as to oppress or embarrass; to heap upon. I strive all in vain to load the cart. Gascoigne. I have loaden me with many spoils. Shak. Those honors deep and broad, wherewith Your majesty loads our house. Shak.

organic matter to which its fertility is chiefly due. We wash a wall of loam; we labor in vain. Hooker.

ok. Threw many a northward look to see his father Bring up his powers; but he did long in vain. Shak.

e the strand for to manure. Surrey. Manure thyself then; to thyself be improved; And with vain, outward things be no more moved. Donne.