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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lax
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Latin laxus loose — more at slack DATE 14th century 1. a. of the bowels : loose , open b. having loose bowels 2. deficient in firmness : not stringent lax control a lax foreman 3. a. not tense, firm, or rigid : slack a lax rope b. having an open or loose texture c. having the constituents spread apart a lax flower cluster 4. articulated with the muscles involved in a relatively relaxed state (as the vowel \\i\\ in contrast with the vowel \\ē\\) Synonyms: see negligent • lax·ness noun
noun ETYMOLOGY by shortening & alteration (x as symbol for -crosse) DATE 1951 : lacrosse English Etymology lax lax (adj.) c.1400, "loose" (in ref. to bowels), from L. laxus "wide, loose, open," from PIE base *sleg- "to be slack, be languid" (cf.Gk. legein "to leave off, stop," lagos "hare," lit. "with drooping ears," lagnos "lustful, lascivious," lagaros "slack, hollow, shrunken;" L. languere "to be faint, weary," languidis "faint, weak, dull, sluggish, languid"). Of rules, discipline, etc., attested from mid-15c. Related: Laxity. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 lax lax / lAks / adjective1. (disapproving) not strict, severe or careful enough about work, rules or standards of behaviour 不严格的；不严厉的；马虎的 SYN slack , careless :
lax security / discipline 不严格的保安措施/纪律 a lax attitude to health and safety regulations 对衞生与安全条例的马虎态度 2. (phonetics 语音) (of a speech sound 语音) produced with the muscles of the speech organs relaxed 松的；松嗓的 OPP tense • lax·ity / 5lAksEti / noun [U] Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition adj. Function: verb Synonyms: LOOSE 5, ease, ease off, loosen, relax, slack, slacken, untightenadj. Function: adjective 1 Synonyms: LOOSE 1, relaxed, slack Contrasted Words: firm, hard, solid; elastic, resilient, springy Antonyms: rigid 2 Synonyms: NEGLIGENT , behindhand, careless, delinquent, derelict, disregardful, neglectful, regardless, remiss, slack Related Words: forgetful, oblivious, unmindful Contrasted Words: austere, severe, stern; rigid, rigorous; conscientious, honest, scrupulous, upright Antonyms: strict, stringent Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged lax I. \ˈläks\ noun (-es) Etymology: partly from Norwegian laks, from Old Norse lax; partly from Scots (also obsolete English) lax, from Middle English, from Old English leax; Old English leax akin to Old High German lahs salmon, Old Norse lax, Russian losos' salmon, Tocharian B laks fish : salmon II. \ˈlaks\ transitive verb (-ed/-ing/-es) Etymology: Middle English laxen, from Latin laxare, from laxus : relax , loosen < laxed its hold in death — G.M.Trevelyan > III. adjective (-er/-est) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin laxus slack, loose, spacious — more at slack 1. a. of the bowels : loose , open b. : having the bowels open 2. : not strict or stringent < lax discipline > < lax laws > 3. a. : not tense, firm, or rigid : slack , relaxed < took his lax hand in hers — David Walden > < a lax tone of voice > also : easygoing , careless < a man of lax habits > b. : having an open or loose texture < a lax fiber > < a lax soil > c. : not close together : scattered < a lax flower cluster > 4. of a speech sound : produced with the muscles involved in a relatively relaxed state < the vowels \i\ and \u̇\ in contrasts with the vowels \ē\ and \ü\ are lax > — compare tense Synonyms: see negligent IV. noun (-es) now chiefly dialect : looseness of the bowels : diarrhea |
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