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| loose [ looss ] |
adjective (comparative loos·er, superlative loos·est) |
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| Definition: |
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1. not firmly attached: not firmly fastened or fixed in place
  a loose floorboard
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2. slack: not fastened or pulled tight
a loose knot
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3. not tight-fitting: not fitting closely and thus baggy
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4. free: allowed to move around freely without any restraint
broke loose
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5. not packaged: not enclosed in a container or bound together
loose tea
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6. not firmly packed: not compact or dense in texture or arrangement
loose soil
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7. imprecise: not exact, literal, or precise
a loose translation
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8. flexible: not strictly controlled or organized
a loose arrangement
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9. available: not earmarked for a particular purpose
loose funds
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10. irresponsible: lacking restraint or a sense of propriety
loose talk
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11. too fluid: too fluid in consistency
characterized by stomach cramps and loose stools
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12. accompanied by phlegm: accompanied by the production of phlegm or mucus
a loose cough
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13. relaxed: relaxed or free from tension
(
informal
)
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14. promiscuous: having many sexual partners
(
dated
)
(
disapproving
)
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adverb (comparative loos·er, superlative loos·est) |
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| Definition: |
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freely: freely or without restraint
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verb (past and past participle loosed, present participle loos·ing, 3rd person present singular loos·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb set somebody or something free: to release a person or animal from restraint or confinement
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2. transitive verb untie knot: to undo, untie, or unfasten something
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3. transitive and intransitive verb make something less tight: to make something less tight, or be made less tight
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4. transitive verb release somebody from obligation: to release somebody from an obligation or pressure
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5. transitive and intransitive verb fire missile: to fire an arrow, bullet, or other missile
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| [12th century. < Old Norse lauss< Germanic] |
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| loose·ly adverb |
| loose·ness noun |
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be on the loose
1. to be free from confinement, e.g. a prison
2. to be free from responsibilities and having a good time (informal)
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let loose to obtain relief from tension or worry (informal)
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| Word Usage |
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loose or lose?
Lose is a verb only, meaning variously "to mislay," "to fail to win," etc., as in Don't lose [not loose] possession of the ball, or you'll lose the game.Loose is an adjective, adverb, and verb. As an adjective it means variously "not firmly fixed," "not restrained," etc., as in loose [not lose] floorboards;loose [not lose] dogs running through the alley. As an adverb it means "freely," as in dogs running loose [not lose]. As a verb it means variously "to untie," "to make less tight," and "to fire a projectile," as in loosed her grip;loosed the taut anchor line;loosed a volley of arrows.
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