do one's ease

English

Etymology

A clipped form of do one's easement, a former euphemism for easing one's bowels.

Verb

do one's ease (third-person singular simple present does one's ease, present participle doing one's ease, simple past did one's ease, past participle done one's ease)

1. (euphemistic, obsolete) To ease one's bowels; to defecate.
   • 1620 May 22 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “XVIII. To Sir James Crofts, from Paris.”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], published 1655, →OCLC, section I, page 26:

     Another time, the old Duke of Main, who was uſed to play the drol with him, coming ſoftly into his Bedchamber, and thruſting in his Bald-head, and Long-neck, in a poſture to make the King merry, it happened the King was come from doing his Eaſe, and ſpying him, he took the round Cover of the Cloſe-ſtool, and clap'd it on his Bald-Sconce, […]

Synonyms

• do one's duty, do one's easement; see also Thesaurus:defecate

Derived terms

• closet of ease
• house of ease
• seat of ease

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1st ed. "ease, n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1891.