different between ease vs mease

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

Etymology 1

The English Dialect Dictionary suggests Old Norse meiss (“wooden box, as would be used for counting fish”) as a source; The Century Dictionary suggests that the term comes via Old French from a Latin word *mesa (“barrel”). One can also compare German Mass (“measure”) and indeed measure itself.

Noun

mease (plural meases)

1. (Britain, dialect, dated) A measure of varying quantity, often five or six (long or short) hundred, used especially when counting herring.

   a mease of herrings

   • 1894, [British] Parliamentary Papers: 1850-1908, volume 24, page 70:

     The weekly returns will show a great falling off in the herring fishing which it may be said was a complete failure—and consequently caused a falling off of the revenues of the Harbour. There were only 521 mease of herrings sold at an average price of £1 2s 7¾d., or total £590.

   • 1895 November 23, Western Morning News:

     During the past few days large quantities of herrings have been caught at Clovelly. One fisherman, James Small, brought in about twenty mease (mease, 600). The prices realised have fallen so low as 5s. per mease.

   • 1905, Report on the Sea and Inland Fisheries of Ireland, page xviii:

     At Portavogie a few mease of herring were landed in June by some twenty-five boats.

Etymology 2

Variant of mess / mese.

Noun

mease (plural meases)

1. (obsolete) A mess, a mese: a meal.
   • 1590, Thomas Lodge and Robert Greene, A Looking Glass for London and England:

     I want my mease of milk when I go to my work.

   • 1779, Francis Peck, Desiderata Curiosa: Or, A Collection of Divers Scarce and Curious Pieces:

     they shal have [...] every mease of two dishes, one with pottage & boiled meate, the other roste (if it be no fasting day.) And if it be a fish daye, then they shal have two like meases of white meate & fish.

Etymology 3

Presumably related to messuage.

Noun

mease (plural meases)

1. (obsolete) A dwelling or messuage.
   • 1805, An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk:

     1628, July 15, was a Gild new erected by four young bachelors of the town, and kept at the college-house, of above twenty meases of persons, and the poor then well relieved.

   • c. 1541, William Ranshaw versus John Hayward and Others re Title to Goods and Chattels at Hulme, reported in the Pleadings and Depositions in the Duchy Court of Lancaster, time of Henry VIII (1897), volume 35, page 134:

     William Raynshaw, of Hulme, in the county of Lancaster, complains that whereas Hamnett Bent was seised in his demesne as of fee of certain meases of land, meadow, and pasture with appurtenances in Hulme […]

References

• mease in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• The English Dialect Dictionary (Joseph Wright)
• The Open Court (1911), volume 25, page 416: The Glasgow Herald of Sept. 13, 1886, says: A mease [of herring] ... is five hundreds of 120 each.

Anagrams

• Amees, Aseem, Eames, Emesa, Maese, Samee, amese, eames

Scots

Etymology

From Old French ameiser.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi?z/

Verb

mease (third-person singular present meases, present participle measin, past meased, past participle meased)

1. to mitigate, alleviate, assuage
2. to soothe, pacify

Spanish

Verb

mease

1. First-person singular (yo) imperfect subjunctive form of mear.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperfect subjunctive form of mear.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) imperfect subjunctive form of mear.