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An inseparable prefix, fr. the Greek ill, bad, hard, difficult, and the like; cf. the prefixes, Skr. dus-, Goth. tuz-, OHG. zur-, G. zer-, AS. to-, Icel. tor-, Ir. do-.

substance formed in the decomposition of cholic acid of bile; -- so called because it is difficult to solve.

Difficult and painful menstruation.

Difficulty in swallowing.

A difficulty in producing vocal sounds; enfeebled or depraved voice.

Difficulty of breathing.

Difficult delivery pr parturition.

Cleaving with difficulty.

Difficult or painful discharge of urine.

Freedom from constraint, formality, difficulty, embarrassment, etc.; facility; liberty; naturalness; -- said of manner, style, etc.; as, ease of style, of behavior, of address. True ease in writing comes from art, not chance. Pope. Whate'er he did was done with so much ease, In him alone 't was natural to please. Dryde…

With ease; without difficulty or much effort; as, this task may be easily performed; that event might have been easily foreseen.

Freedom from difficulty; ease; as the easiness of a task.

Not difficult; requiring little labor or effort; slight; inconsiderable; as, an easy task; an easy victory. It were an easy leap. Shak.

A struggling out of any difficulty. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to incumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands; -- said of a person or his affairs; as, a man or his business is embarrassed when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.

Difficulty or perplexity arising from the want of money to pay debts.

To confuse; to entangle. I am lost and embrangled in inextricable difficulties. Berkeley.

discord; to entangle in a broil or quarrel; to make confused; to distract; to involve in difficulties by dissension or strife. The royal house embroiled in civil war. Dryden.

e might her doubts propose, On all emergencies that rose. Swift. A safe counselor in most difficult emergencies. Brougham.

ging, or of rising out of anything; as, emersion from the sea; emersion from obscurity or difficulties. Their immersion into water and their emersion out of the same. Knatchbull.