Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EARTH'EN, a. [erth'n.]

Made of earth; made of clay; as, an earthen vessel; earthen ware.

EARTH'FED, a.

Low; abject. B. Jonson.

EARTH'FLAX, n.

Amianth; a fibrous, flexile, elastic mineral substance, consisting of short interwoven, or long parallel filaments. Encyc.

EARTH'I-NESS, n.

The quality of being earthy, or of containing earth; grossness. Johnson.

EARTH'ING, ppr.

Hiding in the earth.

EARTH'LI-NESS, n. [from earthly.]

1. The quality of being earthly; grossness.
2. Worldliness; strong attachment to worldly things.

EARTH'LING, n.

An inhabitant of the earth; a mortal; a frail creature. Drummond.

EARTH'LY, a.

1. Pertaining to the earth, or to this world. Our earthly house of this tabernacle. 2 Cor. v.
2. Not heavenly; vile; mean. This earthly load / Of death called life. Milton.
3. Belonging to our present state; as, earthly objects; earthly residence.
4. Belonging to the earth or world; carnal; vile; as opposed to spiritual or heavenly. Whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. Phil. iii.
5. Corporeal; not mental. Spenser.

EARTH-LY-MIND-ED, a.

Having a mind devoted to earthly things.

EARTH-LY-MIND'ED-NESS, n.

Grossness; sensuality; extreme devotedness to earthly objects. Gregory.

EARTH'NUT, n.

1. The popular name of a spherical knob, the size of a cherry, which is black without and white within, and is a part of the root of the Carum Bulbocastanum. DeCand.
2. The seed-vessel and seed of the Atrachis hypogæa, a leguminous plant. It lies upon, or is buried in the earth, where it ripens.

EARTH'QUAKE, n.

A shaking, trembling or concussion of the earth; sometimes a slight tremor; at other times a violent shaking or convulsion; at other times a rocking or heaving of the earth. Earthquakes are usually preceded by a rattling sound in the air, or by a subterraneous rumbling noise. Hence the name, earthdin, formerly given to an earthquake.

EARTH'SHAK-ING, a.

Shaking the earth; having power to shake the earth. Milton.

EARTH-WAN'DER-ING, a.

Roving over the earth.

EARTH'WORM, n.

1. The dew worm, a species of Lumbricus; a worm that lives under ground. Encyc.
2. A mean sordid wretch.

EARTH'Y, a.

1. Consisting of earth; as, earthy matter.
2. Resembling earth; as, an earthy taste or smell.
3. Partaking of earth; terrene. Milton.
4. Inhabiting the earth; terrestrial; as, earthy spirits. Dryden.
5. Relating to earth; as, an earthy sign. Dryden.
6. Gross; not refined; as, an earthy conceit. Shak.
7. Earthy fracture, in mineralogy, is when the fracture of a mineral is rough, with minute elevations and depressions. Cleaveland.

EAR-WAX, n.

The cerumen; a thick viscous substance, secreted by the glands of the ear into the outer passage. Encyc.

EAR'-WIG, n.

A name vulgarly given to a species of Milliped, from a notion that the animal creeps into the ear.

EAR-WIG, n. [Sax. ear-wigga, ear-wicga; ear and worm or grub.]

The popular name of certain species of Forficula, which are orthopterous insects of the family Cursoria. The English name was given from an ill founded notion that these animals creep into the ear and cause injury. In New England, this name is vulgarly given to a centiped.

EAR-WIT-NESS, n.

One who is able to give testimony to a fact from his own hearing. Watts.

EASE, n. [s as z. Fr. aise; Arm. aez; W. hawz; Corn. hedh; Sax. æth or eath, easy; L. otium; It. agio; Ir. easgaidh.]

1. Rest; an undisturbed state. Applied to the body, freedom from pain, disturbance, excitement or annoyance. He sits at his ease. He takes his ease.
2. Applied to the mind, a quiet state; tranquillity; freedom from pain, concern, anxiety, solicitude, or any thing that frets or ruffles the mind. His soul shall dwell at ease. Ps. xxv. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion. Amos vi.
3. Rest from labor.
4. Facility; freedom from difficulty or great labor. One man will perform this service with ease. This author writes with ease.
5. Freedom from stiffness, harsh, forced expressions, or unnatural arrangements; as, a the ease of style.
6. Freedom from constraint or formality; unaffectedness; as, ease of behavior. At ease, in an undisturbed state; free from pain or anxiety.

EASE, v.t.

1. To free from pain or any disquiet or annoyance, as the body; to relieve; to give rest to; as, the medicine has eased the patient.
2. To free from anxiety, care or disturbance, as the mind; as the late news has eased my mind.
3. To remove a burden from, either of body or mind; to relieve; with of. Ease me of this load; ease them of their burdens.
4. To mitigate; to alleviate; to assuage; to abate or remove a part any burden, pain, grief, anxiety or disturbance. Ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father. 2 Chron. x.
5. To quiet; to allay; to destroy; as, to ease pain. To ease off or ease away, in seamen's language, is to slacken a rope gradually. To ease a ship, is to put the helm hard a-lee, to prevent her pitching, when close hauled. Mar. Dict.

EAS'ED, pp.

Freed from pain; alleviated.

EASE'FUL, a.

Quiet; peaceful; fit for rest. Shak.

EASE'FUL-LY, adv.

With ease or quiet. Sherwood.