loose
adj
1 free or released from confinement or restraint
2 not close, compact, or tight in structure or arrangement
3 not fitted or fitting closely
loose clothing is cooler
4 not bundled, packaged, fastened, or put in a container
loose nails
5 inexact; imprecise
a loose translation
6 (of funds, cash, etc.) not allocated or locked away; readily available
a (esp. of women) promiscuous or easy
b (of attitudes, ways of life, etc.) immoral or dissolute
8 lacking a sense of responsibility or propriety
loose talk
a (of the bowels) emptying easily, esp. excessively; lax
b (of a cough) accompanied by phlegm, mucus, etc.
10 (of a dye or dyed article) fading as a result of washing; not fast
11 Informal (chiefly U.S. and Canadian) very relaxed; easy
n
12 ♦
the loose (Rugby) the part of play when the forwards close round the ball in a ruck or loose scrum
See →
scrum
a free from confinement or restraint
b Informal on a spree
adv
a in a loose manner; loosely
b (in combination)
loose-fitting
15 ♦
hang loose
Informal (chiefly U.S.) to behave in a relaxed, easy fashion
vb
16 tr to set free or release, as from confinement, restraint, or obligation
17 tr to unfasten or untie
18 to make or become less strict, tight, firmly attached, compact, etc.
19 when intr, often foll by: off to let fly (a bullet, arrow, or other missile) (C13 (in the sense: not bound): from Old Norse lauss free; related to Old English leas free from, -less) ♦
loosely adv ♦
looseness n
loose cannon
n a person or thing that appears to be beyond control and is potentially a source of unintentional damage
loose change
n money in the form of coins suitable for small expenditures
loose cover
n a fitted but easily removable cloth cover for a chair, sofa, etc., (U.S. and Canadian name)
slipcover
loose end
n
1 a detail that is left unsettled, unexplained, or incomplete
2 ♦
at a loose end without purpose or occupation
loose head
n (Rugby) the prop on the hooker's left in the front row of a scrum
Compare →
tight head
loose-jointed
adj
1 supple and easy in movement
2 loosely built; with ill-fitting joints
♦
loose-jointedness n
loose-leaf
adj
1 (of a binder, album, etc.) capable of being opened to allow removal and addition of pages
n
2 a serial publication published in loose leaves and kept in such a binder
loose-limbed
adj (of a person) having supple limbs
loose order
n (Military) a formation in which soldiers, units, etc., are widely separated from each other
loose smut
n a disease of cereal grasses caused by smut fungi of the genus Ustilago, in which powdery spore masses replace the host tissue
loose-tongued
adj careless or irresponsible in talking