loosen

Verb

loosen (third-person singular simple present loosens, present participle loosening, simple past and past participle loosened)

1. (transitive) To make loose.
   • to loosen a knot; to loosen one's grip / hold on something
   • After the Thanksgiving meal, Bill loosened his belt.

   Synonyms:

   ease, relax, untighten

2. (intransitive) To become loose.
   • I noticed that my seatbelt had gradually loosened during the journey.
   • The subtile shower the earth hath softned so,
     And with the waues, the trees tost to and fro;
     That the rootes loosen, and the tops downe sway,
     So that whole Forrests quickly swimme away.1630, Michael Drayton, “Noahs Floud”, in The Muses Elizium Lately Discouered, London: John Waterson, page 108
3. (transitive) To disengage (a device that restrains).
   • At Liberty th’ unfetter’d Captive stands,
     And flings the loosen’d Shackles from his Hands.1717, Joseph Addison, transl., Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books, translated by the most eminent hands, London: Jacob Tonson, Book 3, p. 99
   • He easily comprehended, that the noise which he had heard was occasioned by his having loosened a chain which attached the image to its pedestal.1796, Matthew Gregory Lewis, chapter 10, in The Monk, volume 3, London: J. Bell, page 167

   Synonyms:

   undo, unfasten

4. (intransitive) To become unfastened or undone.
   • Immediately my Shackles loosened and fell away of themselves […]1770, Henry Brooke, The Fool of Quality, volume 5, Dublin, page 52
5. (transitive) To free from restraint; to set at liberty.
   • This is an admirable Rule; a Painter ought to have it perpetually present in his Mind and Memory. […] it loosens his hands, and assists his understanding.1695, Charles Alphonse du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica, London: W. Rogers, page 185
   • […] Valancourt, willing to take a more extensive view of the enchanting country, into which they were about to descend, than he could do from a carriage, loosened his dogs, and once more bounded with them along the banks of the road.1794, Ann Ward Radcliffe, chapter 5, in The Mysteries of Udolpho, volume 1, London: G.G. and J. Robinson, page 145

   Synonyms:

   liberate, release, set free

6. (transitive) To relieve (the bowels) from constipation; to promote defecation.
   • […] Feare looseneth the Belly; because the Heat retiring inwards towards the Heart, the Gutts and other Parts are relaxed;1626, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum: or A Naturall Historie, London: William Lee, Century 1, p. 14
   • […] omitting the vehicle of water and honey, which is of a laxative power it selfe, the powder of some Loadstones in this dose doth rather constipate and binde, then purge and loosen the belly.1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, London: E. Dod, Book 2, Chapter 3, p. 73
7. (obsolete, transitive) To create a breach or rift between (two parties).
   • I had rather lose the battle than that sister
     Should loosen him and me.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
8. (intransitive, obsolete) To sail away (from the shore).
   • […] after the .iiii. day of oure arryuall in Britayne, the eightene shyps that we spake of before, which hadde the horsemen to conuey ouer, loosened from the further hauen with a soft wynd.1565, Arthur Golding, transl., The Eyght Bookes of Caius Iulius Cæsar conteyning his martiall exploytes in the realme of Gallia and the countries bording vppon the same, London: William Seres, Book 4

   Synonyms:

   put out