Main Entry: ¹ease

Pronunciation: \ˈēz\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English ese, from Anglo-French eise, aise convenience, comfort, ultimately from Latin adjacent-, adjacens neighboring — more at adjacent

Date: 13th century

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 <known for his charm and ease of manner> e : an easy fit
2 : relief from discomfort or obligation
3 : facility, effortlessness <did it with ease>
4 : an act of easing or a state of being eased

— ease·ful \-fəl\ adjective

— ease·ful·ly \-fə-lē\ adverb

— at ease 1 : free from pain or discomfort
2 a : free from restraint or formality <feels most at ease with old friends> 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