English → Latin
“loose, loosen” in Latin
soleōto be accustomed, used to, in the habit ofresolvōto release, loosen, unloose, unbind, disentangle, relax, dissolve; to enfeeble; to cancel, dispellaxōto extend, expand; to open, make wide; to undo, releaserelaxōto stretch out or widen again; unloose, loosen, open; slacken; abate; to slacken, ease, alleviate, mitigate; cheer up, erefīgōto loosen, unfasten, unfix; to cancel, revoke, abolish (a law, etc.)ablaqueōto turn up or loosen the soil around a tree (to form a trench for water)—ablaqueatedēmittōto send or bring down, cause to hang or fall down; drop, flow, shed, sag, let fall; to sink, lower, put down; to cast do
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
loose, loosen v.
solvere, resolvere (to untie): laxare, relaxare (to make loose): refigere (to undo what has been fastened or nailed): to loosen the soil, agrum mollire (about trees), ablaqueare: to loose one’s hold, e manibus emittere, or demittere: to loose (a ship), solvere terra, or simply solvere (sc. navem); ancoram or ancoras tollere; oram solvere (☞ ancoras solvere is very rare, ancoras vellere is of doubtful authority.)
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for loose, loosen?
- The usual Latin words for “loose, loosen” are soleō, resolvō, laxō; also relaxō, refīgō, ablaqueō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.