Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EASE'FUL-NESS, n.

State of being easeful.

EAS'EL, n.

The frame on which painters place their canvas. Easel-pieces, among painters, are the smaller pieces, either portraits or landscapes, which are painted on the easel, as distinguished from those which are drawn on walls, ceilings, &c. Encyc. Chalmers.

EASE'LESS, a.

Wanting ease.

EASE'MENT, n.

1. Convenience; accommodation; that which gives ease, relief or assistance. He has the advantage of a free lodging, and some other easements. Swift.
2. In law, any privilege or convenience which one man has of another, either by prescription or charter, without profit; as a way through his land, &c. Encyc. Cowel.

EAS'I-LY, adv. [From easy.]

1. Without difficulty or great labor; without great exertion, or sacrifice of labor or expense; as, this task may be easily performed; that event might have been easily foreseen.
2. Without pain, anxiety or disturbance; in tranquillity; as, to pass life well and easily. Temple.
3. Readily; without the pain of reluctance. Not soon provoked, she easily forgives. Prior.
4. Smoothly; quietly; gently; without tumult or discord.
5. Without violent shaking or jolting; as, a carriage moves easily.

EAS'I-NESS, n.

1. Freedom from difficulty; ease. Easiness and difficulty are relative terms. Tillotson.
2. Flexibility; readiness to comply; prompt compliance; a yielding or disposition to yield without opposition or reluctance. Give to him, and he shall but laugh at your easiness. South. So we say, a man's easiness of temper is remarkable.
3. Freedom from stiffness, constraint, effort or formality; applied to manners or to the style of writing. Roscommon.
4. Rest; tranquillity; ease; freedom from pain. Ray.
5. Freedom from shaking or jolting, as of a moving vehicle.
6. Softness; as, the easiness of a seat.

EAS'ING, ppr.

Relieving; mitigating.

EAST, a.

Toward the rising sun; or toward the point where the sun rises, when in the equinoctial; as, the east gate; the east border; the east side. The east wind is a wind that blows from the east.

EAST, n. [Sax. east; D. oost, oosten; G. ost; Sw. ost, osten; Dan. öst, östen; Fr. est. If the radical sense coincides with that of the L. oriens, this word may belong to the root of hoise, hoist.]

1. The point in the heavens, where the sun is seen to rise at the equinox, or when it is in the equinoctial, or the corresponding point on the earth; one of the four cardinal points. The east and the west are the points where the equator intersects the horizon. But to persons under the equinoctial line, that line constitutes east and west.
2. The eastern parts of the earth; the regions or countries which lie east of Europe, or other country. In this indefinite sense, the word is applied to Asia Minor, Syria, Chaldea, Persia, India, China, &c. We sneak of the riches of the east, the diamonds and pearls of the east, the kings of the east. The gorgeous east, with richest hand, / Pours on her kings barbaric, pearl and gold. – Milton.

EAST'ER, n. [Sax. easter; G. ostern; supposed to be from Eostre, the goddess of love or Venus of the north, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors, in April; whence this month was called Eostermonath. Eoster is supposed by Beda and others to be the Astarte of the Sidonians. See Beda, Cluver, and the authorities cited by Cluver, and by Jamieson, under Paysyad. But query.]

A festival of the Christian church observed in commemoration of our Savior's resurrection. It answers to the pascha or passover of the Hebrews, and most nations still give it this name, pascha, pask, paque.

EAST'ER-LING, n.

1. A native of some country eastward of another. – Spenser.
2. A species of waterfowl. – Johnson.

EAST'ER-LY, a.

1. Coming from the eastward; as, an easterly wind.
2. Situated toward the east; as, the easterly side of a lake or country.
3. Toward the east; as, to move in an easterly direction.
4. Looking toward the east; as, an easterly exposure.

EAST'ER-LY, adv.

On the east; in the direction of east.

EAST'ERN, a. [Sax. eastern.]

1. Oriental; being or dwelling in the east; as, eastern kings; eastern countries; eastern nations.
2. Situated toward the east; on the east part; as, the eastern side of a town or church; the eastern gate.
3. Going toward the east, or in the direction of east; as, an eastern voyage.

EAST'WARD, adv. [east and ward.]

Toward the east; in the direction of east from some point or place. New Haven lies eastward from New York. Turn your eyes eastward.

EA'SY, a. [s as z. See Ease.]

1. Quiet; being at rest; free from pain, disturbance or annoyance. The patient has slept well and is easy.
2. Free from anxiety, care, solicitude or peevishness; quiet; tranquil; as, an easy mind.
3. Giving no pain or disturbance; as, an easy posture; an easy carnage.
4. Not difficult; that gives or requires no great labor or exertion; that presents no great obstacles; as, an easy task. It is often more easy to resolve, than to execute. Knowledge is easy to him that understandeth. – Prov. xiv.
5. Not causing labor or difficulty. An easy ascent or slope, is a slope rising with a small angle.
6. Smooth; not uneven; not rough or very hilly; that may be traveled with ease; as, an easy road.
7. Gentle; moderate; not pressing; as, a ship under easy sail.
8. Yielding with little or no resistance; complying; credulous. With such deceits he gained their easy hearts. – Dryden.
9. Ready; not unwilling; as, easy to forgive. – Dryden.
10. Contented; satisfied. Allow hired men wages that will a make them easy.
11. Giving ease; freeing from labor, care or the fatigue of business; furnishing abundance without toil; affluent; as, easy circumstances; an easy fortune.
12. Not constrained; not stiff or formal; as, easy manners; an easy address; easy movements in dancing.
13. Smooth; flowing; not harsh; as, an easy style.
14. Not jolting; as, the horse has an easy gait.
15. Not heavy or burdensome. My yoke is easy, and my burden light. – Matth. xi.

EAT, v.i.

1. To take food; to feed; to take a meal, or to board. He did eat continually at the king's table. – 2 Sam. ix. Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? Matth. ix.
2. To take food; to be maintained in food. To eat, or to eat in or into, is to make way by corrosion; to gnaw; to enter by gradually wearing or separating the parts of a substance. A cancer eats into the flesh. Their word will eat as doth a canker. 2 Tim. ii. To eat out, to consume. Their word will eat out the vitals of religion, corrupt and destroy it. Anon.

EAT, v.t. [pret. ate; pp. eat or eaten. Sax. hitan, eatan, ytan and etan; Goth. itan; Dan. æder; Sw. äta; D. eeten; pp. gegeeten; G. essen, pp. gegessen; Russ. ida, iado, the act of eating; L. edo, esse, esum; Gr. εδω; W. ysu; Ir. ithim, itheadh; Sans. ada. The Dutch and German, with the prefix ge, form the pass. part. gegeeten, gegessen, which indicates that the original was geeten, gessen. Class Gd or Gs, in which there are several roots from which this word may be deduced. Etch is from the same root.]

1. To bite or chew and swallow, as food. Men eat flesh and vegetables. They shall make thee to eat grass as oxen. – Dan. iv.
2. To corrode; to wear away; to separate parts of a thing gradually, as an animal by gnawing. We say, a cancer eats the flesh.
3. To consume; to waste. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them. – Ecc. v.
4. To enjoy. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall ear the good of the land. – Is. i.
5. To consume; to oppress. Who eat up my people as they eat bread. – Ps. xiv.
6. To feast. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. – Is. xxii. In Scripture, to cat the flesh of Christ, is to believe on him and be nourished by faith. To eat one's words, is to swallow back; to take back what has been uttered; to retract. – Hudibras.

EAT'A-BLE, a.

That may be eaten; fit to be eaten; proper for food; esculent.

EAT'A-BLE, n.

Any thing that may be eaten; that which is fit for food; that which is used as food.

EAT'EN, pp. [ee'tn.]

Chewed and swallowed; consumed; corroded.

EAT'ER, n.

One who eats; that which eats or corrodes; a corrosive.

EATH, a.

Easy; and adv. easily. [Obs.]

EAT-ING, ppr.

Chewing and swallowing; consuming; corroding.

EAT-ING-HOUSE, n.

A house where provisions are sold ready dressed.