• enPR: lo͞os, IPA: /luːs/

loose (looses, present participle loosing; past and past participle loosed)

1. (transitive) To let loose, to free from restraints.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Matthew 11:2 ↗:

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

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: King James Bible, 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.

• (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

• (let loose) bind, constrain
• (unfasten) bind, fasten, tie
• (make less tight) tighten
• (of grip or hold) tighten
• (archery) fast

• German: lösen
• Portuguese: soltar, liberar, libertar
• Russian: освобожда́ть
• Spanish: soltar, desatar, liberar

• French: défaire
• German: lösen
• Italian: disfare
• Portuguese: desamarrar
• Russian: ослабля́ть
• Spanish: desabrochar

• German: lockern
• Portuguese: afrouxar
• Russian: ослабля́ть
• Spanish: aflojar

• German: loslassen
• Portuguese: soltar
• Russian: отпуска́ть
• Spanish: soltar

• Portuguese: atirar

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.

   • 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, published 1712, [Act 5, scene 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 2”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:

     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

   • The comparison employed […] must be considered rather as a loose analogy than as an exact scientific explanation.

8. indiscreet#English|Indiscreet.

   Loose talk costs lives.

9. (somewhat dated) Free from moral restraint; immoral, unchaste.
   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, 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.

   • loose ladies in delight

   • 1826, [Walter Scott], Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one. [...] In Three Volumes, volume (please specify ), Edinburgh: Printed [by James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, OCLC 991895633 ↗:

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.

11. (dated) Not costive; having lax bowels.

• (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) polygamous, promiscuous, slutty, tarty, whorish; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous

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

• French: lâche, mal fixé
• German: lose, locker
• Italian: sciolto
• Portuguese: frouxo, solto
• Russian: непривя́занный
• Spanish: flojo, suelto

• French: à la pièce
• German: lose
• Italian: sciolto, sfuso
• Portuguese: desembalado
• Russian: неупако́ванный
• Spanish: suelto

• French: lousse (Quebec, slang), ample, pas serré
• Portuguese: frouxo, largo
• Russian: просто́рный

• French: mal fixé
• Portuguese: solto
• Russian: ры́хлый

• German: entspannt
• Portuguese: relaxado
• Russian: рассла́бленный
• Spanish: relajado

• German: indiskret, lose
• Portuguese: indiscreto
• Russian: неосторо́жный
• Spanish: indiscreto

• French: débauché, facile
• German: zügellos, ausschweifend, los
• Portuguese: promíscuo
• Russian: распу́щенный
• Spanish: promiscuo, libertino, golfo

loose (plural looses)

1. (archery) The release of an arrow.
2. (obsolete) A state of laxity or indulgence; unrestrained freedom, abandonment.
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.
   • 1713, Joseph Addison, Cato, published 1712, [Act 4, scene 1]:

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

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes, volume (please specify ), London: Printed by A[ndrew] Millar, […], OCLC 928184292 ↗:

     |||tr=|brackets=|subst=|lit=|nocat=1|footer=}}|}}

     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.

1. (archery) begin shooting; release your arrows

• (archery: begin shooting) fast

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

1. Misspelling of lose

   I'm going to loose this game.

1. Surname