loose
loose [loose looses loosed loosing] adjective, verb, noun BrE [luːs] NAmE [luːs]
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
•a loose association of artists, writers and composers
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
more at play fast and loose at ↑fast adv., all hell broke loose at ↑hell, have a screw loose at ↑screw n.
Word Origin:
Middle English loos ‘free from bonds’, from Old Norse lauss, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German los.
Example Bank:
•He felt he had to cut loose from his family.
•Her hair hung loose about her shoulders.
•I let my hair fall loose down my back.
•I'm going to let the dogs loose.
•One of the bricks feels slightly loose.
•Shall I wear my hair loose?
•The animals had broken loose from their pens.
•The committees work within fairly loose guidelines.
•The top of the tap has come loose.
•During the night, somebody had cut the boat loose from its moorings.
•The horse had broken loose from its tether.
•This book is an antidote for much of the loose thinking in the world of today.
•This is only a loose translation as I am not fluent in Japanese.
Idioms: ↑cut loose from somebody ▪ ↑hang loose ▪ ↑have a loose tongue ▪ ↑let loose ▪ ↑let loose something ▪ ↑let somebody loose ▪ ↑on the loose
Derived Word: ↑looseness
verb (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. ~ sth 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. Do not confuse this verb with to lose = ‘to be unable to find sth’.
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Middle English loos ‘free from bonds’, from Old Norse lauss, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German los.
noun
Word Origin:
Middle English loos ‘free from bonds’, from Old Norse lauss, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German los.
See also: ↑cut loose
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