loose

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See also: Loose

English

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewH-, *lū- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)

  1. (transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
  2. (transitive) To unfasten, to loosen.
  3. (transitive) To make less tight, to loosen.
  4. (intransitive) Of a grip or hold, to let go.
  5. (archery) To shoot (an arrow).
  6. (obsolete) To set sail.
  7. (obsolete) To solve; to interpret.
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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  • (antonym(s) of “let loose”): bind, constrain
  • (antonym(s) of “unfasten”): bind, fasten, tie
  • (antonym(s) of “make less tight”): tighten
  • (antonym(s) of “of grip or hold”): tighten
  • (antonym(s) of “archery”): fast
Derived terms
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Translations
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Adjective

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loose (comparative looser, superlative loosest)

  1. Not fixed in place tightly or firmly.
    This wheelbarrow has a loose wheel.
  2. Not held or packaged together.
    You can buy apples in a pack, but they are cheaper loose.
  3. Not under control.
    The dog is loose again.
    • 2020 October 15, Frank Pasquale, “‘Machines set loose to slaughter’: the dangerous rise of military AI”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
      The very idea of a machine set loose to slaughter is chilling.
    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene v, page 4:
      Now I stand / Loose of my vow; but who knows Cato's thoughts?
  4. Not fitting closely.
    I wear loose clothes when it is hot.
  5. Not compact.
    It is difficult walking on loose gravel.
    a cloth of loose texture
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      with horse and chariots ranked in loose array
  6. Relaxed.
    She danced with a loose flowing movement.
  7. Not precise or exact; vague; indeterminate.
    a loose way of reasoning
    • 1858, William Whewell, The history of scientific ideas:
      The comparison employed […] must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.
  8. Indiscreet.
    Loose talk costs lives.
  9. (somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
  10. (not comparable, sports) Not being in the possession of any competing team during a game.
    He caught an elbow going after a loose ball.
    The puck was momentarily loose right in front of the net.
    • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport‎[2]:
      Tomas Rosicky released the left-back with a fine pass but his low cross was cut out by Ivan Marcano. However the Brazilian was able to collect the loose ball, cut inside and roll a right-footed effort past Franco Costanzo at his near post.
  11. (dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.
  12. (of volumes of materials) Measured loosely stacked or disorganized (such as of firewood).
    Coordinate terms: stacked, solid
  13. (US, slang, motor racing, of a stock car) Having oversteer.
  14. (slang, vulgar) Of either a woman's anus or vagina, abnormally wide after multiple penetrations due to having had sexual intercourse multiple times.
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Terms derived from the adjective loose
Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

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loose (plural looses)

  1. (archery) The release of an arrow.
    • 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter‎[3]:
      In throwing a Dart, or Iavelin, wee force back our armes, to make our loose the stronger.
  2. (obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
  3. (rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
    • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France‎[4]:
      The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose.
  4. Freedom from restraint.
  5. A letting go; discharge.
Derived terms
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Interjection

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loose

  1. (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows
Antonyms
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  • (antonym(s) of “archery: begin shooting”): fast
Translations
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Etymology 2

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Verb

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loose (third-person singular simple present looses, present participle loosing, simple past and past participle loosed)

  1. Obsolete form of lose.
    • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 107, column 1:
      And now I feare that fatall Prophecie, / Which in the time of Henry, nam'd the Fift, / Was in the mouth of euery ſucking Babe, / That Henry borne at Monmouth ſhould winne all, / And Henry borne at Windſor, looſe all: […]
    • 1645 June, John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for June 1645]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, pages 191–192:
      [W]e went to the Chetto de san Felice, to see the noblemen and their ladies at Basset, a game at cards which is much used, but they play not in public, and all that have inclination to it are in masquerade, without speaking one word, and so they come in, play, loose or gaine, and go away as they please.
    • 1675, George Mckenzie of Rosehaugh, “Without just”, in Observations upon the 28. Act, 23. Parl. K. James VI. against Dispositions Made in Defraud of Creditors, &c., Edinburgh: […] His Majesties Printers, page 89:
      And ſince the Law would not ſuſtain Action for it, at the gainers inſtance againſt the Debitor who looſed it, much leſſe ſhould it ſuſtain a Diſpoſition for payment of it againſt the Creditors, and yet this may be ſaid to be an onerous cauſe; for the looſer hazarded as much of his own, againſt what he gained, and ſo this Game was but the return of his Money: […]
  2. Misspelling of lose.
    I'm going to loose this game.
Derived terms
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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Hypercorrectively from English lose or from looseur.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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loose f (uncountable)

  1. Great pettiness, shabbiness
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