Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DIS-EASE', n. [dize'ze; dis and ease.]

1. In its primary sense, pain, uneasiness, distress, and so used by Spenser; but in this sense, obsolete.
2. Any deviation from health in function or structure; the cause of pain or uneasiness; distemper; malady; sickness; disorder; any state of a living body in which the natural functions of the organs are interrupted or disturbed, either by defective or preternatural action, without a disrupture of parts by violence, which is called a wound. The first effect of disease is uneasiness or pain, and the ultimate effect is death. A disease may affect the whole body, or a particular limb or part of the body. We say, a diseased limb; a disease in the head or stomach; and such partial affection of the body is called a local or topical disease. The word is also applied to the disorders of other animals, as well as to those of man; and to any derangement of the vegetative functions of plants. The shafts of disease shoot across our path in such a variety of courses, that the atmosphere of human life is darkened by their number, and the escape of an individual becomes almost miraculous. – Buckminster.
3. A disordered state of the mind or intellect, by which the reason is impaired.
4. In society, vice; corrupt state of morals. Vices are called moral diseases. A wise man converses with the wicked, as a physician with the sick, not to catch the disease, but to cure it. – Maxin of Antisthenes.
5. Political or civil disorder, or vices in a state; any practice which tends to disturb the peace of society, or impede or prevent the regular administration of government. The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have every where perished. – Federalist, Madison.