relax
verb/ɹɪˈlæks/
Etymology From Middle English relaxen, from Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxāre (“relax, loosen, open”), from re- (“back”) + laxāre (“loosen”), from laxus (“loose, free”). By surface analysis, re- + lax (“open, free, loose”).
9 senses
- 1To make something loose.
- 2To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
- 3To become loose.
- 4To relieve (someone or someone's mind) of stress; to…
- 5To rest and become relieved of stress.
- 6To make something less severe or tense.
- 7To become less severe or tense.
- 8To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
- 9To become more lenient.
1
To make something loose.
- to relax a rope or cord
- to relax the muscles or sinews
1 more example
- Horror […] all his joynts relax'd.1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
2
Dated To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
- An aperient relaxes the bowels.
3
To become loose.
4
To relieve (someone or someone's mind) of stress; to enable to rest; to calm down.
- Amusement relaxes the mind.
5
To rest and become relieved of stress.
- I like to relax by listening to music.
- I relax in the living room.2016, “Let's Learn English level 1”, in VOA Learning English, archived from the original on 30 Sep 2017, Lesson 5: Where Are You?, public domain:
6
To make something less severe or tense.
- to relax discipline
- to relax one's attention or endeavours
7
To become less severe or tense.
- Tensions between the two countries have relaxed somewhat in recent weeks.
8
To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
- The statute of mortmain[…] was at several times relaxed by the legislature.1713, Jonathan Swift, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction:
- The Court rejected the contention that the doctrine of sovereign immunity should be relaxed as inapplicable to suits for specific relief as distinguished from damage suits, saying: "The Government, as representative of the community as a whole, cannot be stopped in its tracks by any plaintiff who presents a disputed question of property or contract right."1953, “Section 2. Jurisdiction”, in Edward Samuel Corwin, editor, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, page 589:
9
Of codes and regulations To become more lenient.
- Derived terms
- chillax, overrelax, prerelax, relaxable, relaxacon, relaxase, relaxative, relaxin, relaxion, relaxographic, relaxography, relaxometry, relaxosome, underrelax, unlax
- Related terms
- relaxation