adj 1. not attached ○ Watch out! – the sail is loose and swinging towards you! ○ The front wheel is loose and needs tightening. ○ The boat came loose and started to drift away. ○ Once he was let loose, the dog ran across the park. 2. □ to be at a loose end to have nothing special to do ○ We’re at a loose end this weekend. 3. (of a garment) wide, not tight-fitting (NOTE: looser – loosest) ■ verb to start something happening ○ The government’s proposals loosed off demonstrations in all parts of the country.
loose
(loos), a. [Compar. Looser superl. Loosest.] [OE. loos, lous, laus, Icel. lauss; akin to OD. loos, D. los, AS. leás false, deceitful, G. los, loose, Dan. & Sw. lös, Goth. laus, and E. lose. rad.127. See Lose, and cf. Leasing falsehood.]
1. Unbound; untied; unsewed; not attached, fastened, fixed, or confined; as the loose sheets of a book. “Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat.” Shak.
2. Free from constraint or obligation; not bound by duty, habit, etc.; — with from or of. “Now I stand
Loose of my vow; but who knows Cato’s thoughts ?” Addison.
3. Not tight or close; as a loose garment.
4. Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as a cloth of loose texture. “With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.” Milton.
5. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate; as a loose style, or way of reasoning. “The comparison employed … must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.” Whewel.
6. Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right. “The loose morality which he had learned.” Sir W. Scott.
7. Unconnected; rambling. “Vario spends whole mornings in running over loose and unconnected pages.” I. Watts.
8. Lax; not costive; having lax bowels. Locke.
9. Dissolute; unchaste; as a loose man or woman. “Loose ladies in delight.” Spenser.
10. Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as a loose epistle. Dryden. At loose ends, not in order; in confusion; carelessly managed. — Fast and loose. See under Fast. — To break loose. See under Break. — Loose pulley. (Mach.) See Fast and loose pulleys, under Fast. — To let loose, to free from restraint or confinement; to set at liberty.
1. Unbound; untied; unsewed; not attached, fastened, fixed, or confined; as the loose sheets of a book. “Her hair, nor loose, nor tied in formal plat.” Shak.
2. Free from constraint or obligation; not bound by duty, habit, etc.; — with from or of. “Now I stand
Loose of my vow; but who knows Cato’s thoughts ?” Addison.
3. Not tight or close; as a loose garment.
4. Not dense, close, compact, or crowded; as a cloth of loose texture. “With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.” Milton.
5. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate; as a loose style, or way of reasoning. “The comparison employed … must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.” Whewel.
6. Not strict in matters of morality; not rigid according to some standard of right. “The loose morality which he had learned.” Sir W. Scott.
7. Unconnected; rambling. “Vario spends whole mornings in running over loose and unconnected pages.” I. Watts.
8. Lax; not costive; having lax bowels. Locke.
9. Dissolute; unchaste; as a loose man or woman. “Loose ladies in delight.” Spenser.
10. Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as a loose epistle. Dryden. At loose ends, not in order; in confusion; carelessly managed. — Fast and loose. See under Fast. — To break loose. See under Break. — Loose pulley. (Mach.) See Fast and loose pulleys, under Fast. — To let loose, to free from restraint or confinement; to set at liberty.
loose
n. 1. Freedom from restraint. [Obs.] Prior.
2. A letting go; discharge. B. Jonson. To give a loose, to give freedom. “Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.” Addison.
2. A letting go; discharge. B. Jonson. To give a loose, to give freedom. “Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.” Addison.
loose
(loos), v. n. [imp. & p. p. Loosed (loost); p. pr. & vb. n. Loosing.] [From Loose, a.]
1. To untie or unbind; to free from any fastening; to remove the shackles or fastenings of; to set free; to relieve. “Canst thou … loose the bands of Orion ?” Job. xxxviii. 31. “Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me.” Matt. xxi. 2.
2. To release from anything obligatory or burdensome; to disengage; hence, to absolve; to remit. “Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.” 1 Cor. vii. 27. “Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matt. xvi. 19.
3. To relax; to loosen; to make less strict. “The joints of his loins were loosed.” Dan. v. 6.
4. To solve; to interpret. [Obs.] Spenser.
1. To untie or unbind; to free from any fastening; to remove the shackles or fastenings of; to set free; to relieve. “Canst thou … loose the bands of Orion ?” Job. xxxviii. 31. “Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me.” Matt. xxi. 2.
2. To release from anything obligatory or burdensome; to disengage; hence, to absolve; to remit. “Art thou loosed from a wife ? seek not a wife.” 1 Cor. vii. 27. “Whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matt. xvi. 19.
3. To relax; to loosen; to make less strict. “The joints of his loins were loosed.” Dan. v. 6.
4. To solve; to interpret. [Obs.] Spenser.
Meaning of “loose” in English language – adj 1. not attached ○ Watch out! – the s...
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