/ luːs; NAmE / adjective , verb , noun
■ adjective
( loos·er , loos·est )
NOT FIXED / TIED
1.
not firmly fixed where it should be; able to become separated from sth :
a loose button / tooth
Check that the plug has not come loose .
2.
not tied together; not held in position by anything or contained in anything :
She usually wears her hair loose.
The potatoes were sold loose, not in bags.
3.
[ not usually before noun ] free to move around without control; not tied up or shut in somewhere :
The sheep had got out and were loose on the road.
The horse had broken loose (= escaped) from its tether.
During the night, somebody had cut the boat loose from its moorings.
CLOTHES
4.
not fitting closely :
a loose shirt
OPP tight
NOT SOLID / HARD
5.
not tightly packed together; not solid or hard :
loose soil
a fabric with a loose weave
NOT STRICT / EXACT
6.
not strictly organized or controlled :
a loose alliance / coalition / federation
7.
not exact; not very careful :
a loose translation
loose thinking
IMMORAL
8.
[ usually before noun ] ( old-fashioned ) having or involving an attitude to sexual relationships that people consider to be immoral :
a young man of loose morals
BALL
9.
( sport ) not in any player's control :
He pounced on a loose ball .
BODY WASTE
10.
having too much liquid in it :
a baby with loose bowel movements
► loose·ness noun [ U ]
•
IDIOMS
- break / cut / tear (sb/sth) loose from sb/sth
- hang / stay loose
- have a loose tongue
- let loose
- let loose sth
- let sb/sth loose
—more at fast adverb , hell , screw noun
■ verb
[ vn ] ( formal )
RELEASE
1.
~ sth (on / upon sb/sth) to release sth or let it happen or be expressed in an uncontrolled way :
His speech loosed a tide of nationalist sentiment.
MAKE STH LOOSE
2.
to make sth loose, especially sth that is tied or held tightly
SYN loosen :
He loosed the straps that bound her arms.
FIRE BULLETS
3.
~ sth (off) (at sb/sth) to fire bullets, arrows, etc.
HELP NOTE : Do not confuse this verb with to lose = 'to be unable to find sth'.
■ noun
•
IDIOMS
- on the loose
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English loos free from bonds , from Old Norse lauss , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German los .