ease vs nettle

ease

verb
  • To alleviate, assuage or lessen (pain). 

  • To move (something) slowly and carefully. 

  • To free (something) from pain, worry, agitation, etc. 

  • To reduce the difficulty of (something). 

  • To proceed with little effort. 

  • To loosen or slacken the tension on a line. 

  • To lessen in intensity. 

  • To give respite to (someone). 

noun
  • Additional space provided to allow greater movement. 

  • Release from constraint, obligation, or a constrained position. 

  • Followed by of or from: release from or reduction of pain, hardship, or annoyance. 

  • Freedom from pain, hardship, and annoyance, sometimes (derogatory, archaic) idleness, sloth. 

  • Ability, the means to do something 

  • Freedom from difficulty. 

  • Skill, dexterity, facility. 

  • Freedom from worry and concern; peace; sometimes (derogatory, archaic) indifference. 

  • Freedom from effort, leisure, rest. 

  • Freedom from financial effort or worry; affluence. 

  • Freedom from embarrassment or awkwardness; grace. 

nettle

verb
  • To pique, irritate, vex or provoke. 

  • Of the nettle plant and similar physical causes, to sting, causing a rash in someone. 

noun
  • Urtica incisa (Australian nettle); 

  • Cnidoscolus urens, bull nettle, 

  • ball nettle (Solanum carolinense); 

  • Various species of the genus Dendrocnide 

  • Most, but not all, subspecies of Urtica dioica (common nettle), 

  • Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis); 

  • Cnidoscolus texanus, Texas bull nettle, 

  • rock nettle (Eucnide); 

  • small-leaved nettle (Dendrocnide photinophylla). 

  • Solanum elaeagnifolium, bull nettle, silver-leaf nettle, white horse-nettle; 

  • false nettle (Boehmeria, family Urticaceae); 

  • flame nettle or painted nettle (Coleus); 

  • hedge nettle (Stachys); 

  • hemp nettle (Galeopsis); 

  • Cnidoscolus stimulosus, bull nettle, spurge nettle, 

  • horse nettle Agastache urticifolia, 

  • Celtis (hackberry). 

  • nilgiri nettle, Himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia, family Urticaceae). 

  • Solanum rostratum, horse-nettle; 

  • dead nettle, dumb nettle (Lamium), particularly Lamium album, white nettle; 

  • Urtica ferox (tree nettle); 

  • Solanum dimidiatum, western horse-nettle, robust horse-nettle; 

  • Loosely, anything which causes a similarly stinging rash, such as a jellyfish or sea nettle. 

  • Urera baccifera (scratchbush), 

How often have the words ease and nettle occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )