lu:s adj., n., & v. --adj. 1 a
not or no longer
held by bonds or
restraint. b (of an animal) not confined or tethered etc. 2 detached or detachable
from its place (has
come loose). 3 not held
together or contained or fixed. 4 not specially fastened or packaged (loose papers;
had her hair loose). 5
hanging partly free (a loose end). 6 slack, relaxed; not tense or
tight. 7 not compact or
dense (loose soil). 8 (of
language, concepts, etc.)
inexact; conveying
only the general sense. 9 (preceding an
agent noun)
doing the expressed
action in a loose or
careless manner (a loose thinker). 10 morally
lax;
dissolute (loose living). 11 (of the tongue)
likely to
speak indiscreetly. 12 (of the bowels) tending to
diarrhoea. 13
Sport a (of a ball) in
play but not in
any player's
possession. b (of play etc.)
with the players not close together. 14 Cricket a (of bowling) inaccurately pitched. b (of fielding) careless or bungling. 15 (in comb.) loosely (loose-flowing; loose-fitting). --n. 1 a
state of
freedom or unrestrainedness. 2 loose play in
football (in the loose). 3 free
expression. --v.tr. 1
release; set free; free from
constraint. 2
untie or
undo (something
that constrains). 3
detach from moorings. 4
relax (loosed my hold on it). 5
discharge (a
gun or
arrow etc.). øat a loose
end (US at loose ends) (of a person)
unoccupied,
esp. temporarily. loose box a
compartment for a
horse, in a stable or
vehicle, in
which it can
move about. loose
change money as coins in the
pocket etc. for
casual use. loose
cover Brit. a removable cover for a
chair or
sofa etc. loose-leaf adj. (of a
notebook,
manual, etc.) with
each leaf separate and removable. --n. a loose-leaf notebook etc. loose-limbed having
supple limbs. loose
order an
arrangement of soldiers etc. with
wide intervals. on the loose 1 escaped from
captivity. 2 having a free
enjoyable time. øøloosely adv. looseness n. loosish adj. [ME los f. ON lauss f. Gmc]