See Also: ease(1)(dictionary)
ease(2)(dictionary)
Ease - Sailing(gambling)
heart's-ease(medicine)
ease 1, noun(dictionary)
ease 2, verb(dictionary)
Ease Up - Horse Racing(gambling)
Ease the Sheets - Sailing(gambling)

ease(1) (iou)



ease noun. [i:z] ME.
[Anglo-Norman ese, Old French eise, (also mod.) aise elbow room, favourable occasion, convenience, from Proto-Romance alt. of Latin adjacens use as noun of pres. pple of adjacere: see ADJACENT.]
Opportunity, means or ability to do something. ME-L15.
Comfort, convenience; formerly also, advantage, enjoyment. ME.
Hobbes The ease, and benefit the Subjects may enjoy. T. Jefferson The portion which came..to Mrs. Jefferson..doubled the ease of our circumstances.
b. A convenience, a luxury. LME-M17.
Absence of pain or discomfort; freedom from annoyance. ME.
S. Johnson Ease, a neutral state between pain & pleasure.
b. spec. Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness in social behaviour. M18.
F. Tuohy A lack of ease, something ponderous and embarrassing in his manner.
Relief of pain, discomfort, or annoyance. Usu. foll. by from. LME.
E. W. Lane Liberate him, said the King, and give us ease. Conan Doyle It was half a sleep and half a faint, but at least it was ease from pain.
b. Alleviation of a constraint, burden, or obligation. Now rare. LME.
c. An act or means of relieving pain, discomfort, an obligation, etc. LME-M18.
Freedom from toil; leisure; idleness, sloth. LME.
R. Ellis Ease hath entomb'd princes of old renown. J. Buchan The position of a judge was the most honourable..ease without idleness, an absorbing intellectual pursuit.
b. Indifference, unconcern. rare. E19.
J. Bentham It is a matter of ease to me not to know.
Absence of awkwardness or difficulty; dexterity. Chiefly in with ease, easily. E17.
L. C. Knights The sinewy ease of Dryden's satires. M. Keane He jumped up and settled himself with neat ease in the saddle.
Phrases: at ease, at one's ease (a) comfortable, relaxed; without annoyance or embarrassment; (b) well-to-do. chapel of ease: see CHAPEL noun. ill at ease: see ILL adjective & adverb. put a person at his or her ease, set a person at his or her ease avoid embarrassing a person by undue formality. set at ease reassure, relieve from anxiety. stand at ease Military stand on parade in a relaxed attitude with the feet apart. take one's ease make oneself comfortable, relax. with ease: see sense 6 above.
easeless adjective without ease; esp. without relief (from pain etc.): L16.