loose
loose / loōs/ • adj. 1. not firmly or tightly fixed in place: a loose tooth the truck's trailer came loose. ∎ detached or able to be detached: a loose board. ∎ not held or tied together; not packaged or placed in a container: wear your hair loose pockets bulging with loose change. ∎ (of a person or animal) free from confinement; not bound or tethered: the bull was loose with cattle in the field the tethered horses broke loose. ∎ not strict or exact: a loose interpretation. ∎ not close or compact in structure: a loose weave | fig. a loose federation of political and industrial groups. ∎ typical of diarrhea: many patients report loose bowel movements.2. (of a garment) not fitting tightly or closely: she slipped into a loose T-shirt and shorts.3. relaxed; physically slack: she swung back into her easy, loose stride | a loose-limbed walk. ∎ careless and indiscreet in what is said: there is too much loose talk about the situation. ∎ dated promiscuous; immoral: she ran the risk of being called a loose woman. ∎ (of the ball in a game) in play but not in any player's possession.• v. [tr.] set free; release: the hounds have been loosed. ∎ untie; unfasten: the ropes were loosed. ∎ relax (one's grip): he loosed his grip suddenly.PHRASES: hang (or stay) loose [often as imper.] inf. be relaxed; refrain from taking anything too seriously: hang loose, baby!on the loose having escaped from confinement: a serial killer is on the loose.DERIVATIVES: loose·ly adv.loose·ness n.
loose
Hence loose vb. XIII. loosen (-EN5) XIV.