loose / loōs/ • adj. 1. not firmly or tightly fixed in place: a loose tooth the truck's trailer came loose. ∎  detached or able to be detached: a loose board. ∎  not held or tied together; not packaged or placed in a container: wear your hair loose pockets bulging with loose change. ∎  (of a person or animal) free from confinement; not bound or tethered: the bull was loose with cattle in the field the tethered horses broke loose. ∎  not strict or exact: a loose interpretation. ∎  not close or compact in structure: a loose weave | fig. a loose federation of political and industrial groups. ∎  typical of diarrhea: many patients report loose bowel movements.2. (of a garment) not fitting tightly or closely: she slipped into a loose T-shirt and shorts.3. relaxed; physically slack: she swung back into her easy, loose stride | a loose-limbed walk. ∎  careless and indiscreet in what is said: there is too much loose talk about the situation. ∎ dated promiscuous; immoral: she ran the risk of being called a loose woman. ∎  (of the ball in a game) in play but not in any player's possession.• v. [tr.] set free; release: the hounds have been loosed. ∎  untie; unfasten: the ropes were loosed. ∎  relax (one's grip): he loosed his grip suddenly.PHRASES: hang (or stay) loose [often as imper.] inf. be relaxed; refrain from taking anything too seriously: hang loose, baby!on the loose having escaped from confinement: a serial killer is on the loose.DERIVATIVES: loose·ly adv.loose·ness n.

loose unbound, unattached XIII; not close XIV; not careful, inexact XVII. — ON. lauss = OE. lēas lying, untrue, OS., OHG. lōs, Goth. laus :- Gmc. *lausaz, f. *laus- *leus- *lus-; see LOSS.
Hence loose vb. XIII. loosen (-EN5) XIV.

loose See loose cannon, hell is let loose.