| loosen | 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. "After a year's rooting, then shaking doth the tree good by loosening of the earth." (Bacon) 2. To free from restraint; to set at liberty. "It loosens his hands, and assists his understanding." (Dryden) 3. To remove costiveness from; to facilitate or increase the alvine discharges of. Origin: See Loose. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| loosening of association | A manifestation of a severe thought disorder characterised by the lack of an obvious connection between one thought or phrase and the next, or with the response to a question. (05 Mar 2000) |
| loosening of associations | A loss of the normal logical connections between one thought and the next, thus the schizophrenic speech is vague, rambling, disjointed or nonsensical. (27 Sep 1997) |