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Webster 1913 Edition


Lax

Lax

(lăks)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Laxer
(lăks′ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Laxest
.]
[L.
laxus
Cf.
Laches
,
Languish
,
Lease
,
Verb.
T.
,
Leash
.]
1.
Not tense, firm, or rigid; loose; slack;
as, a
lax
bandage;
lax
fiber.
The flesh of that sort of fish being
lax
and spongy.
Ray.
2.
Not strict or stringent; not exact; loose; weak; vague; equivocal.
The discipline was
lax
.
Macaulay.
Society at that epoch was lenient, if not
lax
, in matters of the passions.
J. A. Symonds.
The word “æternus” itself is sometimes of a
lax
signification.
Jortin.
3.
Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.
Syn. – Loose; slack; vague; unconfined; unrestrained; dissolute; licentious.

Lax

,
Noun.
A looseness; diarrhea.

Webster 1828 Edition


Lax

LAX

,
Adj.
[L. laxus.]
1.
Loose; flabby; soft; not tense, firm or rigid; as lax flesh; a lax fiber.
2.
Slack; not tight or tense; as a lax cord.
3.
Not firly united; of loose texture; as gravel and the like laxer matter.
4.
Not rigidly exact; as a lax moral discourse.
5.
Not strict; as lax morals.
6.
Loose in the bowels; having too frequent discharges.

LAX

,
Noun.
1.
A looseness; diarrhea.
2.
A species of fish or salmon. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024


lax

lax

See also: LAX

English

Alternative forms

Noun

lax (plural laxes)

  1. (now chiefly Britain dialectal, Scotland) A salmon.

Etymology 2

From Latin laxus (wide, roomy, loose)

Adjective

lax (comparative laxer, superlative laxest)

  1. lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.
    The rules are fairly lax, but you have to know which ones you can bend.
    • J. A. Symonds
      Society at that epoch was lenient, if not lax, in matters of the passions.
  2. loose; not tight or taut.
    The rope fell lax.
    • Ray
      the flesh of that sort of fish being lax and spongy
  3. lacking care; neglectful, negligent
    • 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
      Prior to this match, Albion had only scored three league goals all season, but Wes Brown's lax marking allowed Morrison to head in their fourth from a Chris Brunt free-kick and then, a minute later, the initial squandering of possession and Michael Turner's lack of pace let Long run through to slot in another.
  4. (archaic) Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations

Etymology 3

Noun

lax (uncountable)

  1. (slang) Lacrosse.
    • 2010, Kate Kingsley, Pretty on the Outside (page 79)
      “I'm not playing lax this term,” Mimah said.

Dacian

Noun

lax

  1. The edible wild purslane plant.

German

Etymology

From Latin laxus

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /laks/
  • Homophone: Lachs

Adjective

lax (comparative laxer, superlative am laxesten)

  1. lax
  2. (morale or ethics) easy, loose

Declension


Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse lax, from Proto-Germanic *lahsaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [laxs], [laks]

Noun

lax m (genitive singular lax, nominative plural laxar)

  1. salmon

Declension

Derived terms

  • laxbleikur:
  • laxbleikur litur m

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *laks, from the same source as laciō (entice).[1]

Pronunciation

Noun

lax f (genitive lacis); third declension

  1. deception, fraud

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative lax lacēs
genitive lacis lacum
dative lacī lacibus
accusative lacem lacēs
ablative lace lacibus
vocative lax lacēs

Synonyms

References

  1. De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “laciō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, page 321

Lojban

Rafsi

lax

  1. rafsi of lanxe.

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse lax, from Proto-Germanic *lahsaz. The 1000kr meaning comes from the color of the 1000kr bill which was the same color as a salmon.

Pronunciation

Noun

lax c

  1. salmon
  2. (slang) a bill with nominal value 1000 kronor or the corresponding amount of money

Declension

Inflection of lax 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative lax laxen laxar laxarna
Genitive lax laxens laxars laxarnas

Derived terms

  • laxrosa