Pronounced: FAIR-ee-uhr, noun
Notes: Many people may know this word; I’ve run across it, but was not certain
Yesterday’s word
The word plaint means “complaint” or “protest” or “lamentation”.
First usage
Our word came into English in the early 1200s (quite an old word!)
Background / Comments
Like you, I am familiar with the synonym “complaint”, but not our word; it comes from the Old French word plainte (complaint; cry), which came from the Latin noun planctus (lamentation), which comes from the verb plangere (to beat one’s breast).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 