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Today it means

loose

not firmly fixed in place, or not tightly fastened

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Where does the word "loose" come from? It comes from Old Norse lauss, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

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Where does the word "loose" come from? It comes from Old Norse lauss, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Loose’s story begins in Old Norse: lauss meant “free, unbound.” Free, not bound or fastened. It reached English by 1300s as loose. Settled as the standard English word for not tightly fastened. Today, loose means not firmly fixed in place, or not tightly fastened.

  1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval lauss "free, unbound", free, not bound or fastened.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s loose "not tightly fastened or fixed in place", settled as the standard English word for not tightly fastened.

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