laxo — Lewis & Short
laxo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (rarely n.; v. I. B. 2. b. and II. B. b. infra) [id.],
I to stretch out, extend, to make wide or roomy, to expand.
I Lit.:
forum,Cic. Att. 4, 16, 8:
manipulos,to open the ranks, Caes. B. G. 2, 25:
lilium ab angustiis in latitudinem paulatim se laxans,Plin. 21, 5, 11, § 22.—
B Transf.
1 To open, undo, unloose (syn. solvo):
vincula epistolae laxavit,Nep. Paus. 4:
nodos Herculeos,Luc. 4, 632:
ubi dolor vocem laxaverat,had loosened his voice, Just. 42, 4, 13:
claustra,Verg. A. 2, 259:
claustra portarum,Juv. 8, 261:
intestina,Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 129.—
2 To slacken, relax:
laxare arcum,to slacken, unbend, Phaedr. 3, 14, 11:
excussos rudentes,Verg. A. 3, 267:
laxantur corpora rugis,become flabby with wrinkles, Ov. A. A. 3, 73:
laxatis habenis invehi jussit,Curt. 4, 9, 24; 4, 15, 3:
laxatisque vinculis ... ostendit manum,Just. 14, 4, 1:
se cutis arida laxet,Juv. 6, 144:
oleum ad nervos laxandos utile est,Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 157:
corpus velut laxatum,Petr. 82:
ferrum,to smelt, Stat. Achill. 1, 429.—
(b) Neutr.:
crebris fluctibus compages operis verberatae laxavere,were loosened, opened, Curt. 4, 3, 6.—
3 To lighten, ease:
pharetra graves laxavit umeros,Sen. Herc. Oet. 787.—
II Trop.
A To lighten, relieve, unbend, recreate (syn.: levo, libero): a contentione disputationis animos curamque laxemus, Cic. de Or. 3, 61, 230:
judicum animos atque a severitate ad hilaritatem traducere,id. Brut. 93, 322:
animum ab assiduis laboribus,Liv. 32, 5: ut istis te molestiis laxes, release yourself, Luc. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 3.—
B To relax, mitigate, moderate, abate, weaken:
alicui laxare aliquid laboris,Liv. 9, 16:
vix primos inopina quies laxaverat artus,Verg. A. 5, 187:
placida laxarant membra quiete ... nautae,id. ib. 5, 836:
subtile examen justitiae,Gell. 1, 3:
iram,Stat. Th. 6, 831: nigrantes tenebras id. ib. 12, 254:
paulatim temeritate laxata,Petr. 82:
longiore dierum spatio laxare dicendi necessitatem,to prolong, delay, defer, Quint. 10, 5, 22:
memoriae inhaeret fldelius, quod nulla scribendi securitate laxatur,id. 10, 6, 2:
rarescit multo laxatus vulnere miles,weakened, Sil. 17, 422.—To lay open, disclose, reveal (poet.):
fata latentia laxa,Stat. Achill. 1, 508.—
(b) To reduce the price of:
annonam,Liv. 2, 34, 12; so neutr., to lessen, fall in price:
annona laxaverat,Liv. 26, 20.—laxātus, a, um, P. a., spread out, separated, extended, wide.
A Lit.:
custodiae,i. e. separated, withdrawn, Liv. 21, 32 fin.:
custodia,Petr. 112:
membrana laxatior,Plin. 19, 1, 3, § 17:
laxati ordines (aciei),Tac. H. 3, 25; Sil. 9, 364:
corpore laxati,released from the body, Cic. Rep. 6, 15 fin.—
B Trop.:
libidinum vinculis laxati,released, freed, free, Cic. de Sen. 3, 7:
laxatus curis,id. Tusc. 1, 19, 44:
pugna,a battle broken off, Liv. 21, 59:
nox,i. e. clear, Sil. 13, 550.