[QUOTE] [B][SIZE=4]"loose"[/SIZE][/B] [B]adjective[/B] [LIST=1] [*]not restrained or confined or attached; "a pocket full of loose bills"; "knocked the ball loose"; "got loose from his attacker" [*]not compact or dense in structure or arrangement; "loose gravel" [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/compact]compact[/URL]] [*](of a ball in sport) not in the possession or control of any player; "a loose ball" [*]not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting; "loose clothing"; "the large shoes were very loose" [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/tight]tight[/URL]] [*]not officially recognized or controlled; "an informal agreement"; "a loose organization of the local farmers" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/informal]informal[/URL]] [*]not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/free]free[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/liberal]liberal[/URL]] [*]emptying easily or excessively; "loose bowels" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/lax]lax[/URL]] [*]not affixed; "the stamp came loose" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/unaffixed]unaffixed[/URL]] [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/affixed]affixed[/URL]] [*]not tense or taut; "the old man's skin hung loose and gray"; "slack and wrinkled skin"; "slack sails"; "a slack rope" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/slack]slack[/URL]] [*](of textures) full of small openings or gaps; "an open texture"; "a loose weave" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/open]open[/URL]] [*]not fixed firmly or tightly; "the bolts became loose over time"; "a loose chair leg"; "loose bricks" [*]lacking a sense of restraint or responsibility; "idle talk"; "a loose tongue" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/idle]idle[/URL]] [*]not carefully arranged in a package; "a box of loose nails" [*]freely producing mucus; "a loose phlegmy cough" [*]having escaped, especially from confinement; "a convict still at large"; "searching for two escaped prisoners"; "dogs loose on the streets"; "criminals on the loose in the neighborhood" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/at large(p)]at large(p)[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/at liberty(p)]at liberty(p)[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/escaped]escaped[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/on the loose(p)]on the loose(p)[/URL]] [*]casual and unrestrained in sexual behavior; "her easy virtue"; "he was told to avoid loose (or light) women"; "wanton behavior" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/easy]easy[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/light]light[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/promiscuous]promiscuous[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/sluttish]sluttish[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/wanton]wanton[/URL]] [*]not bound or fastened or gathered together; "loose pages"; "loose papers" [/LIST] [B]adverb[/B] [LIST=1] [*]without restraint; "cows in India are running loose" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/free]free[/URL]] [/LIST] [B]verb[/B] [LIST=1] [*]grant freedom to; free from confinement [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/free]free[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/liberate]liberate[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/release]release[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/unloose]unloose[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/unloosen]unloosen[/URL]] [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/confine]confine[/URL]] [*]turn loose or free from restraint; "let loose mines"; "Loose terrible plagues upon humanity" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/unleash]unleash[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/let loose]let loose[/URL]] [*]make loose or looser; "loosen the tension on a rope" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/loosen]loosen[/URL]] [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/stiffen]stiffen[/URL]] [*]become loose or looser or less tight; "The noose loosened"; "the rope relaxed" [syn: [URL=http://www.word.sc/loosen]loosen[/URL], [URL=http://www.word.sc/relax]relax[/URL]] [ant: [URL=http://www.word.sc/stiffen]stiffen[/URL]] [/LIST] Source: [URL=http://www.word.sc/loose]http://www.word.sc/loose[/URL] [/QUOTE]

Back to Definition