'Loosening' definitions:
Definition of 'loosening'
(from WordNet)
noun
An occurrence of control or strength weakening; "the relaxation of requirements"; "the loosening of his grip"; "the slackening of the wind" [syn: relaxation, loosening, slackening]
noun
The act of making something less tight [syn: loosening, laxation] [ant: tightening]
Definition of 'Loosening'
From: GCIDE
- Loosen \Loos"en\ (l[=oo]s"'n), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Loosened (l[=oo]s"'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Loosening.] [See Loose, v. t.]
- 1. To make loose; to free from tightness, tension, firmness, or fixedness; to make less dense or compact; as, to loosen a string, or a knot; to loosen a rock in the earth. [1913 Webster]
- After a year's rooting, then shaking doth the tree good by loosening of the earth. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
- 2. To free from restraint; to set at liberty.. [1913 Webster]
- It loosens his hands, and assists his understanding. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- 3. To remove costiveness from; to facilitate or increase the alvine discharges of. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'loosening'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abatement,
- allayment,
- alleviation,
- assuagement,
- blunting,
- calming,
- carelessness,
- damping,
- deadening,
- demulcent,
- demulsion,
- diminution,
- dulcification,
- dulling,
- easiness,
- easing,
- easygoingness,
- emollient,
- falling-off,
- hushing,
- impotence,
- imprecision,
- indifference,
- laxity,
- laxness,
- leniency,
- lessening,
- letdown,
- letup,
- lightening,
- looseness,
- lulling,
- mitigation,
- modulation,
- mollification,
- mollifying,
- negligence,
- overindulgence,
- overpermissiveness,
- pacification,
- palliation,
- permissiveness,
- quietening,
- quieting,
- reduction,
- relaxation,
- relaxedness,
- relaxing,
- remission,
- remissness,
- slackening,
- slackness,
- sloppiness,
- softening,
- softness,
- soothing,
- subduement,
- subduing,
- tempering,
- tranquilization,
- unrestraint,
- weakness