different between ease vs quell

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

• IPA^(key): /kw?l/

Etymology 1

From Middle English quellen, from Old English cwellan (“to kill”), from Proto-Germanic *kwaljan? (“to make die; kill”). Cognate with German quälen (“to torment; agonise; smite”), Swedish kvälja (“to torment”), Icelandic kvelja (“to torture; torment”). Compare also Old Armenian ??? (ke?, “sore, ulcer”), Old Church Slavonic ???? (žal?, “pain”). See also kill.

Verb

quell (third-person singular simple present quells, present participle quelling, simple past and past participle quelled)

1. (transitive) To subdue, to put down; to silence or force (someone) to submit. [from 10th c.]
   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, History of England, Chapter 1:

     The nation obeyed the call, rallied round the sovereign, and enabled him to quell the disaffected minority.

   • 1858, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Courtship of Miles Standish

     Northward marching to quell the sudden revolt.

2. (transitive) To suppress, to put an end to (something); to extinguish. [from 14th c.]

   to quell grief

   to quell the tumult of the soul
3. (obsolete, transitive) To kill. [9th-19th c.]
   • (Can we find and add a quotation of Edmund Spenser to this entry?)
4. (obsolete, intransitive) To be subdued or abated; to diminish. [16th-17th c.]

   • Winter's wrath begins to quell.

5. To die.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, Chapter 7:

     Yet he did quake and quaver, like to quell.

Noun

quell (plural quells)

1. A subduing.
   • 1903, Knowledge: A Monthly Record of Science

     The quell of the rebellion raised Justinian to the acme of power.

   • 1994, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. international drug control policy: recent experience, future options : seminar proceedings, Government Printing Office ?ISBN

     The consequences have not been significant in terms of the quell of any of the three drugs into the United States.

   • 2013, Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, Scholastic UK

     But to make things even worse, this is the year of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games, and that means it's also a Quarter Quell. They occur every twenty-five years, marking the anniversary of the districts' defeat with over-the-top celebrations and, for extra fun, some miserable twist for the tributes.

   • 2014, Markham J. Geller, Melammu: The Ancient World in an Age of Globalization, epubli ?ISBN, page 136

     An example can be found in the data about the campaigns of Aššur-b?n-apli against Arab tribes after the quell of the revolt of Šamaš-šumuk?n.

Related terms

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “quell”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Etymology 2

From Middle English *quelle (suggested by the verb quellen (“to well up; gush forth”)), from Old English cwylla, *cwielle (“spring; source”), from Proto-Germanic *kwell? (“well; spring”). Compare German Quelle.

Noun

quell (plural quells)

1. A source, especially a spring.
   • 1969, Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, Ada, Or, Ardor, a Family Chronicle, Vintage ?ISBN

     Other excruciations replaced her namesake's loquacious quells so completely that when, during a lucid interval, she happened to open with her weak little hand a lavabo cock for a drink of water, the tepid lymph replied in its own lingo […]

   • 2001, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Andrea Römmele, Public Information Campaigns and Opinion Research: A Handbook for the Student and Practitioner, SAGE ?ISBN, page 82

     The strategists had access to a wide array of private polling and information from focus groups; a quell of information stretching back over his years as a state-wide candidate and office holder.

2. An emotion or sensation which rises suddenly.
   • 2001, Zane Gates, The Cure, iUniverse ?ISBN, page 241

     A quell of strength over took Robin with each of his words. She was about to fall apart, but Jacob was as brave as a warrior going into battle.

   • 2011, Linda Lee Chaikin, Hawaiian Crosswinds, Moody Publishers ?ISBN

     For a moment their eyes locked, and she felt a quell of anger rise above her apprehension. Reality struck with appalling clarity, yet she could only lie down, partially drugged and untidy as she was from such rough traveling.

   • 2012, Molly Hopkins, It Happened at Boot Camp: Exclusive Novella, Hachette UK ?ISBN

     I read on. It will cost two hundred and fifty quid. I felt a quell of alarm, that's quite expensive.

Middle English

Verb

quell

1. Alternative form of quellen