free or released from fastening or attachment: a loose end.
2.
free from anything that binds or restrains; unfettered: loose cats prowling around in alleyways at night.
3.
uncombined, as a chemical element.
4.
not bound together: to wear one's hair loose.
5.
not put up in a package or other container: loose mushrooms.
6.
available for disposal; unused; unappropriated: loose funds.
7.
lacking in reticence or power of restraint: a loose tongue.
8.
lax, as the bowels.
9.
lacking moral restraint or integrity; notorious for his loose character.
10.
sexually promiscuous or immoral; unchaste.
11.
not firm, taut, or rigid: a loose tooth; a loose rein.
12.
relaxed or limber in nature: He runs with a loose, open stride.
13.
not fitting closely or tightly: a loose sweater.
14.
not close or compact in structure or arrangement; having spaces between the parts; open: a loose weave.
15.
having few restraining factors between associated constituents and allowing ample freedom for independent action: a loose federation of city-states.
16.
not cohering: loose sand.
17.
not strict, exact, or precise: a loose interpretation of the law.
18.
Sports.
a.
having the players on a team positioned at fairly wide intervals, as in a football formation.
b.
(of a ball, hockey puck, etc.) not in the possession of either team; out of player control.
–adverb
19.
in a loose manner; loosely (usually used in combination): loose-flowing.
–verb (used with object)
20.
to let loose; free from bonds or restraint.
21.
to release, as from constraint, obligation, or penalty.
22.
Chiefly Nautical. to set free from fastening or attachment: to loose a boat from its moorings.
23.
to unfasten, undo, or untie, as a bond, fetter, or knot.
24.
to shoot; discharge; let fly: to loose missiles at the invaders.
25.
to make less tight; slacken or relax.
26.
to render less firmly fixed; lessen an attachment; loosen.
–verb (used without object)
27.
to let go a hold.
28.
to hoist anchor; get under way.
29.
to shoot or let fly an arrow, bullet, etc. (often fol. by off): to loose off at a flock of ducks.
30.
Obsolete. to become loose; loosen.
—Idioms
31.
break loose, to free oneself; escape: The convicts broke loose.
32.
cast loose,
a.
to loosen or unfasten, as a ship from a mooring.
b.
to send forth; set adrift or free: He was cast loose at an early age to make his own way in the world.
33.
cut loose,
a.
to release from domination or control.
b.
to become free, independent, etc.
c.
to revel without restraint: After the rodeo they headed into town to cut loose.
34.
hang or stay loose, Slang. to remain relaxed and unperturbed.
35.
let loose,
a.
to free or become free.
b.
to yield; give way: The guardrail let loose and we very nearly plunged over the edge.
36.
on the loose,
a.
free; unconfined, as, esp., an escaped convict or circus animal.
b.
behaving in an unrestrained or dissolute way: a bachelor on the loose.
37.
turn loose, to release or free, as from confinement: The teacher turned the children loose after the class.
[Origin: 1175–1225; (adj.) ME los, loos < ON lauss loose, free, empty; c. OE léas (see -less), D, G los loose, free; (v.) ME leowsen, lousen, deriv. of the adj.]
c.1300, from O.N. lauss "loose, free, vacant, dissolute," cognate with O.E. leas "devoid of, false, feigned, incorrect," from P.Gmc. *lausaz (cf. Dan. løs "loose, untied," M.Du., Ger. los, Goth. laus), from PIE *lau-/*leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart" (see lose). The verb is first recorded c.1225, "to set free." Sense of "unchaste, immoral" is recorded from c.1470. Figurative loose cannon first recorded 1977.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel" [ant: compact]
2.
(of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; "a loose ball"
3.
not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose" [ant: tight]
4.
not officially recognized or controlled; "an informal agreement"; "a loose organization of the local farmers" [syn: informal]
5.
not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem" [syn: free]
6.
emptying easily or excessively; "loose bowels" [syn: lax]
7.
not affixed; "the stamp came loose" [syn: unaffixed] [ant: affixed]
8.
not tense or taut; "the old man's skin hung loose and grey"; "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack rope"
9.
(of textures) full of small openings or gaps; "an open texture"; "a loose weave"
10.
lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue" [syn: idle]
11.
not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails"
12.
having escaped, especially from confinement; "a convict still at large"; "searching for two escaped prisoners"; "dogs loose on the streets"; "criminals on the loose in the neighborhood" [syn: at large]
13.
casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior" [syn: easy]
adverb
1.
without restraint; "cows in India are running loose"
verb
1.
grant freedom to; free from confinement [syn: free] [ant: confine]
2.
turn loose or free from restraint; "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity" [syn: unleash]
3.
make loose or looser; "loosen the tension on a rope" [syn: loosen] [ant: stiffen]
4.
become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" [syn: loosen] [ant: stiffen]
A*nal"y*sis\, n.; pl. Analyses. [Gr. ?, fr. ? to unloose, to dissolve, to resolve into its elements; ? up + ? to loose. See Loose.]1. A resolution of anything, whether an object of the senses or of the intellect, into its constituent or original elements; an examination of the component parts of a subject, each separately, as the words which compose a sentence, the tones of a tune, or the simple propositions which enter into an argument. It is opposed to synthesis. 2. (Chem.) The separation of a compound substance, by chemical processes, into its constituents, with a view to ascertain either (a) what elements it contains, or (b) how much of each element is present. The former is called qualitative, and the latter quantitative analysis. 3. (Logic) The tracing of things to their source, and the resolving of knowledge into its original principles. 4. (Math.) The resolving of problems by reducing the conditions that are in them to equations. 5. (a) A syllabus, or table of the principal heads of a discourse, disposed in their natural order. (b) A brief, methodical illustration of the principles of a science. In this sense it is nearly synonymous with synopsis. 6. (Nat. Hist.) The process of ascertaining the name of a species, or its place in a system of classification, by means of an analytical table or key. Ultimate, Proximate, Qualitative, Quantitative, and Volumetric analysis. (Chem.) See under Ultimate, Proximate, Qualitative, etc.
Leas"ing\, n. [AS. le['a]sung, fr. le['a]s loose, false, deceitful. See -less, Loose, a.] The act of lying; falsehood; a lie or lies. [Archaic] --Spenser. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. --Ps. v. 6. Blessed be the lips that such a leasing told. --Fairfax. Leasing making (Scots Law), the uttering of lies or libels upon the personal character of the sovereign, his court, or his family. --Bp. Burnet.
-less\ (-l[e^]s). [AS. le['a]s loose, false; akin to OS. l[=o]s loose, false, D. los loose, loos false, sly, G. los loose, Icel. lauss loose, vacant, Goth. laus empty, vain, and also to E. loose, lose. [root]127. See Lose, and cf. Loose, Leasing.] A privative adjective suffix, denoting without, destitute of, not having; as witless, childless, fatherless.
Loose\, a. [Compar. Looser; superl. Loosest.] [OE. loos, lous, laus, Icel. lauss; akin to OD. loos, D. los, AS. le['a]s false, deceitful, G. los, loose, Dan. & Sw. l["o]s, Goth. laus, and E. lose. ? 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.
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Audio Help [loos] Pronunciation Key adjective, loos·er, loos·est, adverb, verb loosed, loos·ing. 
