loose

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.

• enPR: lo͞os, IPA^(key): /luːs/

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• Rhymes: -uːs

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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 11:2:

     Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose them, and bring them unto me.

   • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:

     "Ay, and one was nigh to being slain by the hot-pot to be eaten of those brutes, thy children, and had not the others fought gallantly they too had been slain, and not even I could have called back the life which had been loosed from the body."

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.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 13:13:

     Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

7. (obsolete) To solve; to interpret.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     he had red her riddle, which no wight
     Could ever loose

• (let loose): free, release
• (unfasten): loosen, unbind, undo, unfasten, untie
• (make less tight): loosen, relax, slacken
• (of grip or hold): let go, release
• (archery): fire, shoot

• (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

• loose off

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:

     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], […], →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.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, section I:

     In all these he was much and deeply read; / But not a page of any thing that's loose, / Or hints continuation of the species, / Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 5:

     to seeke her errant Knight; / And then againe resolu'd to hunt him out / Amongst loose Ladies, lapped in delight

   • 1826, [Walter Scott], Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, →OCLC:

     the loose morality which he had learned

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:

      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.
    • 1693, [John Locke], “(please specify the section number)”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:

      People that are very loose, have seldom strong Thoughts, or strong Bodies

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.

• (not fixed in place tightly or firmly): unfastened, unsecured; see also Thesaurus:loose
• (not held or packaged together): separate, unpackaged
• (not bound or tethered or leashed): free, untethered
• (not fitting closely): baggy; see also Thesaurus:loose-fitting
• (not compact): diffuse, spaced out; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
• (relaxed): loose-limbed, relaxed; see also Thesaurus:carefree
• (indiscreet): indiscreet
• (promiscuous): promiscuous, slutty, tarty, whorish; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous

• (antonym(s) of “not fixed in place tightly or firmly”): firm, tight; see also Thesaurus:tight
• (antonym(s) of “not held or packaged together”): packaged
• (antonym(s) of “not bound or tethered or leashed”): bound, leashed, tethered, tied, tied up
• (antonym(s) of “not fitting closely”): close-fitting, snug, tight; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
• (antonym(s) of “not compact”): compact, firm; see also Thesaurus:compact
• (antonym(s) of “relaxed”): tense, tensed
• (antonym(s) of “indiscreet”): discreet
• (antonym(s) of “promiscuous”): faithful, monogamous
• (antonym(s) of “oversteer”): tight

loose (plural looses)

1. (archery) The release of an arrow.
   • 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter‎:

     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.
   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     They give a loose to their feelings on proper occasions.

3. (rugby) All play other than set pieces (scrums and line-outs).
   • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France‎:

     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.
   • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene iv, page 1:

     Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     The doctor now interposed, and prevented the effects of a wrath which was kindling between Jones and Thwackum; after which the former gave a loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire […]

5. A letting go; discharge.

• give a loose

loose

1. (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows

• (antonym(s) of “archery: begin shooting”): fast

• forlorn
• lyo-, ly-
• -lysis
• lysis

loose

1. Misspelling of lose.

   I'm going to loose this game.

• looser

• oleos

Hypercorrectively from English lose or from looseur.

• IPA^(key): /luz/

loose f (uncountable)

1. Great pettiness, shabbiness