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Definition villain

Etymology

Probably Middle English villein, borrowed from Old French vilein (modern: vilain), in turn from Late Latin villanus, meaning serf or peasant, someone who is bound to the soil of a Latin villa, which is to say, worked on the equivalent of a plantation in late Antiquity, in Italy or Gaul.

Noun

villain (plural villains)

1. (Can we clean up this sense?) (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought): A vile, wicked person.
   1. An extremely depraved person, or one capable or guilty of great crimes.
   2. A deliberate scoundrel.
2. The bad person in a work of fiction; often the main antagonist of the hero.
3. (poker) Any opponent player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: hero (“the current player”).
4. Archaic form of villein.