I. də̇ˈz]ēz, in sense 1a dəˈs] or (ˈ)di|s]\ noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English disese, from Middle French desaise, from des- dis- (I) + aise ease — more at ease
1.
a. obsolete : lack of ease : discomfort , uneasiness , trouble , distress
b.
(1) : an impairment of the normal state of the living animal or plant body or of any of its components that interrupts or modifies the performance of the vital functions, being a response to environmental factors (as malnutrition, industrial hazards, or climate), to specific infective agents (as worms, bacteria, or viruses), to inherent defects of the organism (as various genetic anomalies), or to combinations of these factors : sickness , illness
(2) : a particular instance or kind of such impairment
baby-pig disease
hampered by her disease
: malady , ailment — compare health
c. : disorder or derangement (as of the mind, moral character, public institutions, or the state)
d. : an alteration that impairs the quality of a product usually caused by the action of microorganisms
the diseases of wine
2.
a. obsolete : a cause of discomfort or harm
b. : an organism that causes disease — used chiefly in plant pathology
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English disesen, from Middle French desaisier, from desaise, n.
1. obsolete : to deprive of ease : make uncomfortable : distress
2. : to affect or infect with disease : derange , disorder