[ease] n [ME ese, fr. OF aise convenience, comfort, fr. L adjacent-, adjacens neighboring--more at adjacent] (13c) 1: the state of being comfortable: as a: freedom from pain or discomfort b: freedom from care c: freedom from labor or difficulty d: freedom from embarrassment or constraint: naturalness e: an easy fit
2: relief from discomfort or obligation
3: facility, effortlessness
4: an act of easing or a state of being eased -- ease.ful adj -- ease.ful.ly adv -- at ease 1: free from pain or discomfort
2. a: free from restraint or formality b: standing silently (as in a military formation) with the feet apart, the right foot in place, and one or both hands behind the body--often used as a command
[2]ease vb eased ; eas.ing vt (14c) 1: to free from something that pains, disquiets, or burdens
2: to make less painful: alleviate "~ his suffering" 3 a: to lessen the pressure or tension of esp. by slackening, lifting, or shifting b: to maneuver gently or carefully c: to moderate or reduce esp. in amount or intensity
4: to make less difficult "~ credit"
5. a: to put the helm of (a ship) alee b: to let (a helm or rudder) come back a little after having been put hard over ~ vi 1: to give freedom or relief
2: to move or pass with freedom or with little resistance
3: moderate, slacken