different between ease vs check

English

Etymology

From Middle English ese, ays, etc., from Anglo-Norman ese (“ease”), from Old French eise and aise (“elbow room; opportunity”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Provencal ais, Italian agio and asio, and Portuguese azo. Sometimes ascribed to Latin *asia or *asium, possibly from ansa (“handle; occasion”) but more likely from a Vulgar Latin *adjace(m), from Latin adjac?ns, present participle of adjace?. Alternatively, possibly from a non-Latin source such as Germanic or Celtic on the basis of the conflicting forms which appear in various Romance languages. Compare Old English ?eþe (“easy”), Gothic ???????????????????? (az?ti, “ease; pleasure”), *???????????????????? (*az?ts, “easy”), Breton eaz, ez (“easy”), Irish adhais (“easy; leisure”). Compare also Frankish *ansiju (“loophole, eyelet; handle, arms akimbo, elbow room”). See also eath.

The verb is from Middle English esen, ultimately of the same origin.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /i?z/
• (US) enPR: ?z, IPA^(key): /iz/,
• Rhymes: -i?z
• Homophones: ees, E's, 'e's

Noun

ease (uncountable)

1. Ability, the means to do something, particularly:
   1. (obsolete) Opportunity, chance.
      • a. 1200, Ancrene Riwle (Cleopatra MS C.vi), p. 213:

        ...?ef þer is eise to fulle þe dede...

   2. Skill, dexterity, facility.

2. Comfort, a state or quality lacking unpleasantness, particularly:
   1. Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth.

   2. Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference.

   3. Freedom from difficulty.

   4. Freedom from effort, leisure, rest.

   5. Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence.

   6. Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace.

3. Relief, an end to discomfort, particularly:
   1. Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance.

   2. (euphemistic, obsolete) Release from intestinal discomfort: defecation.
   3. Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position.

   4. (clothing) Additional space provided to allow greater movement.

4. (obsolete) A convenience; a luxury.
5. (obsolete) A relief; an easement.

Synonyms

• (ability): ability, dexterity, facility, skill
• (comfort): comfort, peace
• (freedom from worry): peace of mind
• (freedom from effort): free time, leisure, relaxation, rest

Derived terms

Related terms

• easy, easiness

Translations

Verb

ease (third-person singular simple present eases, present participle easing, simple past and past participle eased)

1. (transitive) To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc.
   • Elyse Saugstad, a professional skier, wore a backpack equipped with an air bag, a relatively new and expensive part of the arsenal that backcountry users increasingly carry to ease their minds and increase survival odds in case of an avalanche.

2. (transitive) To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain).

3. (transitive) To give respite to (someone).
4. (nautical, transitive) To loosen or slacken the tension on a line.

5. (transitive) To reduce the difficulty of (something).

6. (transitive) To move (something) slowly and carefully.

7. (intransitive) To lessen in severity.

8. (intransitive) To proceed with little effort.

Synonyms

• (free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc): assuage, salve
• (alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain)): allay, alleviate, assuage, lessen, reduce
• (give respite to (someone)): give someone a break (informal), lay off (informal)
• (loosen or slacken the tension on (something)): loosen, relax, slacken
• (reduce the difficulty of (something)): facilitate, simplify
• (lessen in severity): lessen, reduce
• (proceed with little effort): cruise

Translations

References

Middle English

Noun

ease (plural eases)

1. Alternative spelling of ese

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: ch?k, IPA^(key): /t???k/
• Rhymes: -?k
• Homophones: cheque, Czech

Etymology 1

From Middle English chek, chekke, borrowed from Old French eschek, eschec, eschac, from Medieval Latin scaccus, borrowed from Arabic ????? (š?h, “king or check at chess, shah”), borrowed from Persian ???? (šâh, “king”), from Middle Persian ????????????????? (mlk? /š?h/), from Old Persian ???? (XŠ /xš?ya?iya/, “king”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšáyati (“he rules, he has power over”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to gain power over, gain control over”).

All English senses developed from the chess sense. Compare Saterland Frisian Schak, Schach, Dutch schaak, German Schach, Danish skak, Swedish schack, Icelandic skák, French échec, Italian scacco. See chess and shah (“king of Persia or Iran”).

Noun

check (plural checks)

1. (chess) A situation in which the king is directly threatened by an opposing piece. [from 14th c.]
2. An inspection or examination.

3. A control; a limit or stop.
4. (US) A mark (especially a checkmark: ?) used as an indicator.

   Synonyms: (UK) tick, checkmark

   • 1980, Stephen King, The Mist

     Norton had made a neat, lawyerly check beside each of the items he and Billy had picked up—half a dozen or so, including the milk and a six-pack of Coke.

5. (US) An order to a bank to pay money to a named person or entity.

   Synonym: (UK, Canada) cheque

6. (US) A bill, particularly in a restaurant.

   Synonyms: bill, (Canada) cheque

7. (contact sports) A maneuver performed by a player to take another player out of the play.

8. A token used instead of cash in gaming machines, or in gambling generally.
   • 1963, American law reports annotated: second series, volume 89

     […] the statute prohibits a machine which dispenses checks or tokens for replay […]

9. A lengthwise separation through the growth rings in wood.
10. A mark, certificate, or token by which errors may be prevented, or a thing or person may be identified.

11. (falconry) The forsaking by a hawk of its proper game to follow other birds. [from 15th c.]
12. A small chink or crack.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

• check on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

From Middle English chekken, partly from Old French eschequier and partly from the noun (see above).

Verb

check (third-person singular simple present checks, present participle checking, simple past and past participle checked)

1. To inspect; to examine.

2. To verify the accuracy of a text or translation, usually making some corrections (proofread) or many (copyedit).
3. (US, often used with "off") To mark items on a list (with a checkmark or by crossing them out) that have been chosen for keeping or removal or that have been dealt with (for example, completed or verified as correct or satisfactory).

   Synonyms: check off, (UK) tick, (UK) tick off, cross off, strike off

   Antonym: uncheck

4. To control, limit, or halt.

   Synonyms: curtail, restrain; see also Thesaurus:curb

   • c. 1775–1780, Edmund Burke, letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol

     so many clogs to check and retard the headlong course of violence and oppression

   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13

     She was about to retort but something checked the words on her tongue.

5. To verify or compare with a source of information.

6. To leave in safekeeping.

7. To leave with a shipping agent for shipping.

8. (street basketball) To pass or bounce the ball to an opponent from behind the three-point line and have the opponent pass or bounce it back to start play.

9. (sports) To disrupt another player with the stick or body to obtain possession of the ball or puck.

   Synonyms: tackle, trap, attack

10. (poker) To remain in a hand without betting. Only legal if no one has yet bet.

11. (chess) To make a move which puts an adversary's king in check; to put in check.
12. To chide, rebuke, or reprove.
13. (nautical) To slack or ease off, as a brace which is too stiffly extended.
14. To crack or gape open, as wood in drying; or to crack in small checks, as varnish, paint, etc.
15. To make checks or chinks in; to cause to crack.

16. To make a stop; to pause; with at.

    • The mind, once jaded by an attempt above its power, either is disabled for the future, or else checks at any vigorous undertaking ever after.

17. (obsolete) To clash or interfere.

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

18. To act as a curb or restraint.
    • 1677, John Dryden, All for Love

      It [his presence] checks too strong upon me.

19. (falconry) To turn, when in pursuit of proper game, and fly after other birds.

Derived terms

• See below

Descendants

• ? Gulf Arabic: ???? (??yy?k)
• ? Hijazi Arabic: ??????? (šayyak)
• ? Finnish: tsekata
• ? German: checken
• ? Portuguese: checar
• ? Russian: ??????? (?ékat?)
• ? Russian: ???????? (?éknut?)
• ? Russian: ?????????? (pro?ékat?)
• ? Spanish: chequear

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 3

By shortening from chequer, from Old French eschequier (“chessboard”), from Medieval Latin scaccarium, ultimately from the same Persian root as above.

Noun

check (plural checks)

1. (textiles, usually pluralized) A pattern made up of a grid of squares of alternating colors; a checkered pattern.
   • 1819, Charles Mowry, in the Downington Pennsylvania American Republican, quoted in Herbery Wisbey, Pioneer Prophetess: Jemima Wilkinson, the Publick Universal Friend:

     One of her female followers, had made a very elegant piece of check. The Friend, being at her house, on a visit, the lady shewed the check to her, and as evidence of devotion to her leader, proposed presenting her with a pattern off the piece for her own use.

2. Any fabric woven with such a pattern.

Translations

Verb

check (third-person singular simple present checks, present participle checking, simple past and past participle checked)

1. (transitive) To mark with a check pattern.

Adjective

check (not comparable)

1. (heraldry) Divided into small squares by transverse, perpendicular, and horizontal lines.

   Synonym: chequy

References

• Michael Quinion (2004) , “Cheque”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, ?ISBN
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “check”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Chinese

Etymology

Borrowed from English check.

Pronunciation

Verb

check

1. (Cantonese) to check

Synonyms

• ????? (ji?nchá)

Danish

Etymology

From English cheque, check, from Old French eschek (“check (in chess)”), via Medieval Latin scaccus and Arabic ????? (š?h) from Persian ???? (šâh, “king”) (cf. also Danish skak).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?????]

Noun

check c

1. cheque

Inflection

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

check

1. first-person singular present indicative of checken
2. imperative of checken

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??k/

Noun

check m (plural checks)

1. (slang) fist bump

Spanish

Noun

check m (plural checks)

1. check (mark)

Swedish

Etymology

From English check

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??k?/
• Homophones: käck, tjeck

Noun

check c

1. cheque, check

Declension

References