χᾰλάω

I slacken, loosen, unstring

trans., slacken, loosen, χ. βιόν, τόξα, unstring the bow, h.Ap. 6, h.Hom. 27.12; χ. τὰ νεῦρα, opp. συντείνειν, Pl. Phd. 98d; χ. τὸν πόδα, of a ship, v. πούς II.2: metaph., τὰ τῆς πολιτείας χ., opp. ἐπιτείνειν, Plu. Monarch. 2.827b:—Pass., opp. ἐπιτείνεσθαι, Pl. Phd. 86c, 94c; χαλᾶσθαι καὶ διαφθείρεσθαι Id. Lg. 653c; χαλᾶσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς Porph. Marc. 7.

2 let down, let fall, having unbent, dip, soak, lowered

let down, let fall, πτέρυγα χαλάξαις Pi. l.c.; χαλάσας ὀλίγον τὸ μέτωπον having unbent the brow, Ar. V. 655 (anap.); μαστοὺς χάλασον, says the Cyclops to his ewe, E. Cyc. 55 (lyr.); κράββατον, δίκτυα χ., Ev.Marc. 2.4, Ev.Luc. 5.5; τὴν ἱερὰν ἄγκυραν Suid.; dip in a liquid, εἰς αἷμα PMag.Par. 1.2886; soak, PHolm. 14.33:—Med., ἱστὸν χαλάσαντο lowered it, A.R. 2.1264.

3 let loose, release, let go, slacken oneʼs hold

let loose, release, τινὰ ἐκ δεσμῶν A. Pr. 177 (anap.); abs., let go, slacken oneʼs hold, μηδαμῇ χάλα ib. 58.

4 slacken

ἡνίας χ. slacken the reins, esp. in metaph. sense, χ. τὰς ἡνίας τοῖς λόγοις Pl. Prt. 338a, cf. E. Fr. 409.

5 loose, undo, open

κλῇθρα χ. loose the bars or bolts, i.e. undo or open the door, S. Ant. 1187, E. Hipp. 808; κλῇδας Id. Med. 1314; χ. τοὺς μοχλούς Ar. Lys. 310; but also πύλας μοχλοῖς χαλᾶτε A. Ch. 879.

6 loosen, undo

loosen or undo things drawn tightly together, χ. κρεμαστὴν ἀρτάνην S. OT 1266; χ. πᾶν κάλυμμʼ ἀπʼ ὀφθαλμῶν Id. El. 1468; χ. δεσμά E. Andr. 577; ἀσκόν Id. Cyc. 161; τὸ στόμα X. Eq. 6.8:—Pass., τὰ χαλώμενα ὅπλα Hp. Art. 43; πρὶν ἂν χαλασθῇ δεσμά A. Pr. 991.

7

of the bowels, etc., ὑγρὰ χ. Hp. Prorrh. 1.99, cf. Coac. 20; ἢν αἱ μῆτραι μὴ χαλάσωσι τὰ ἐπιμήνια Id. Mul. 1.61.

8 let, go, remit, relaxed, principle, to be softened, to have free play

metaph., τὴν ὀργήν χ. let it go, Ar. V. 727 (anap.); χ. [τὸν νόον] ἐς ὄψιν τινός Ti.Locr. 104c; χ. ἐπιθυμίαν Plu. Sanit. 2.133a; τὸ βαρὺ καὶ ἀμειδές Alciphr. 3.3; remit, μήτε τῆς προνοίας χαλώσης τὴν . . ὑπεροχήν Procl. Inst. 122; τὸ ἀεὶ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν ἐχάλασαν relaxed the strict principle that . . Pl. Sph. 242e:—Pass., to be softened, λίθος εἰς ὑγρότητα κεχαλασμένος Callistr. Stat. 5; also κεχαλάσθαι εἰς τὸ αὐτεξούσιον to have free play, opp. συντετάχθαι, Plot. 4.3.16.

II become slack, loose, open, have a remission of, relax

intr., become slack or loose, opp. συντείνω, Pl. Phd. 98d; χόλαισιν ἄγκυρραι Alc. 18.9 (s. v.l.); ζῶναι χαλῶσι E. Ba. 935; πύλαι χαλῷσαι open gates, X. Cyr. 7.5.29: metaph. c. gen., have a remission of, χαλάσσομεν τὰς θυμοβόρω λύας Alc. Supp. 23.10; τί χαλᾷ μανιῶν; A. Pr. 1057 (anap.); (also abs., S. OC 203 (lyr.), 840); relax, φρονήματος χ. E. Fr. 716; τῆς ὀργῆς Ar. Av. 383 (troch.); [τὸ ὂν] χαλάσαν τῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἁπλότητος Dam. Pr. 13.

2 give way, yield to, be indulgent to, give way

c. dat. pers., χ. τινι give way or yield to any one, be indulgent to him, εἰ τοῖσιν . . κτείνουσιν ἀλλήλους χαλᾷς A. Eu. 219; χάλα τοκεῦσιν E. Hec. 403; with gen. add., μοι τῆς ἀρχῆς χάλασον Pl. Men. 86e, cf. Plu. Lyc. 7: abs., give way, εἴκειν ὁδοῦ χαλῶντα τοῖς κακίοσιν E. Ion 637.

3 grow slack, weak, abate

abs., grow slack or weak, ἐπειδὰν αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι παύσωνται κατατείνουσαι καὶ χαλάσωσι Id. R. 329c; abate, χαλάσει ὁ παγετός Hp. Aër. 8; ὀδύνη Id. Acut. 16.