Noun: loose
| Singular | loose |
| Plural | looses |
Sample Sentences
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In throwing a Dart, or Iavelin, wee force back our armes, to make our loose the stronger. [1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter:]
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They give a loose to their feelings on proper occasions. [1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:]
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The defeat will leave manager Martin Johnson under pressure after his gamble of pairing Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood at 10 and 12 failed to ignite the England back line, while his forwards were repeatedly second best at the set-piece and in the loose. [2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France:]
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Vent all its griefs, and give a loose to sorrow. [1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 45:]
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The doctor now interposed, and prevented the effects of a wrath which was kindling between Jones and Thwackum; after which the former gave a loose to mirth, sang two or three amorous songs, and fell into every frantic disorder which unbridled joy is apt to inspire […] [1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:]
Nouns inflected like loose
soldier's woundwort,
Nicosian,
whopper,
greypate,
tactile sign language,
chronotrope,
Rosie Lee,
dissentient,
photoinactivator,
sulphonediimine,
coastal waterfall,
residuary devise,
bituminization,
nitrosonaphthol,
smṛiti,
geosphere,
backscreen,
mensuralist,
flocculate,
flocculant, etc. (List truncated at 20 nouns)
Etymology
1. Etymology tree
2. Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-
3. Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der.
4. Proto-Germanic *leusaną
5. Proto-Germanic *lausaz
6. Old Norse laussbor.
7. Middle English loos
8. English loose
9. From Middle English loos, los, lous, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic *lausaz, whence also -less, leasing; from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- (“to untie, set free, separate”), whence also lyo-, -lysis, via Ancient Greek.
Verbs referencing "loose"
English Nouns
lust.