LOOSEN

loosen, relax, loose

(verb) become loose or looser or less tight; “The noose loosened”; “the rope relaxed”

loosen, loose

(verb) make loose or looser; “loosen the tension on a rope”

loosen

(verb) make less dense; “loosen the soil”

untie, undo, loosen

(verb) cause to become loose; “undo the shoelace”; “untie the knot”; “loosen the necktie”

tease, tease apart, loosen

(verb) disentangle and raise the fibers of; “tease wool”

relax, loosen

(verb) become less severe or strict; “The rules relaxed after the new director arrived”

relax, loosen

(verb) make less severe or strict; “The government relaxed the curfew after most of the rebels were caught”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology

Verb

loosen (third-person singular simple present loosens, present participle loosening, simple past and past participle loosened)

(transitive) To make loose.

Synonyms: ease, relax, untighten

(intransitive) To become loose.

(transitive) To disengage (a device that restrains).

Synonyms: undo, unfasten

(intransitive) To become unfastened or undone.

(transitive) To free from restraint; to set at liberty.

Synonyms: liberate, release, set free

(transitive) To relieve (the bowels) from constipation; to promote defecation.

(transitive, obsolete) To create a breach or rift between (two parties).

(intransitive, obsolete) To sail away (from the shore).

Synonym: put out

Antonyms

• tighten

Anagrams

• no-lose

Source: Wiktionary

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Loos"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Loosened; p. pr. & vb. n. Loosening.] Etym: [See Loose, v. t.]

1. To make loose; to free from tightness, tension, firmness, or fixedness; to make less dense or compact; as, to loosen a string, or a knot; to loosen a rock in the earth. After a year's rooting, then shaking doth the tree good by loosening of the earth. Bacon.

2. To free from restraint; to set at liberty.. It loosens his hands, and assists his understanding. Dryden.

3. To remove costiveness from; to facilitate or increase the alvine discharges of. Bacon.

Loos"en, v. i.

Definition: To become loose; to become less tight, firm, or compact. S. Sharp.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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