[loo-suh
n] 
| 1. | to unfasten or undo, as a bond or fetter. |
| 2. | to make less tight; slacken or relax: to loosen one's grasp. |
| 3. | to make less firmly fixed in place: to loosen a tooth. |
| 4. | to let loose or set free from bonds, restraint, or constraint. |
| 5. | to make less close or compact in structure or arrangement. |
| 6. | to make less dense or coherent: to loosen the soil in a garden. |
| 7. | to relax in strictness or severity, as restraint or discipline: to loosen restrictions on trade. |
| 8. | to relieve (the bowels) of their constipated condition. |
| 9. | to become loose or looser (sometimes fol. by up): His hold loosened. Your shoes will loosen up with wear. |
| loosen up | |
verb | |
| 1. | cause to become unblocked; "The medicine unstuffed my nose in minutes!" [syn: unstuff] [ant: block] |
| 2. | become less tense, less formal, or less restrained, and assume a friendlier manner; "our new colleague relaxed when he saw that we were a friendly group" [syn: relax] |
| 3. | make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity [syn: limber up] |
| 4. | become less tense, rest, or take one's ease; "He relaxed in the hot tub"; "Let's all relax after a hard day's work" [syn: relax] [ant: tense] |
| 5. | cause to feel relaxed; "A hot bath always relaxes me" [syn: relax] [ant: strain] |