ease

[[t]iz[/t]]

n. v. eased, eas•ing

1) freedom from labor, pain, or physical annoyance; relaxation or comfort:

to enjoy one's ease[/ex]

2) freedom from concern, anxiety, or solicitude:

to be at ease about one's health[/ex]

3) freedom from difficulty or great effort; facility:

It can be done with ease[/ex]

4) freedom from financial need; plenty:

a life of ease[/ex]

5) freedom from stiffness, constraint, or formality; unaffectedness

6) to free from anxiety or care:

to ease one's mind[/ex]

7) to mitigate, lighten, or lessen:

to ease pain[/ex]

8) to release from pressure or tension

9) to move or shift with great care:

to ease a car into a narrow parking space[/ex]

10) to render less difficult; facilitate

11) navig.

a) naut. navig. to bring (the helm or rudder of a vessel) slowly amidships

b) naut. navig. to bring the head of (a vessel) into the wind

12) to abate in severity, pressure, tension, etc. (often fol. by off or up)

13) to become less painful, burdensome, etc

14) to move or shift, or be moved or shifted, with great care

15) phv ease out, to prevail upon tactfully to leave a job, move from an apartment, etc

•

- at ease

Etymology: 1175–1225; ME ese, eise < AF ese, OF aise, eise comfort < VL *adjace(m), acc. of *adjacēs vicinity, L adjacēns adjacent, taken as a n. of the type nūbēs, acc. nūbem cloud