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Lax vs Relax - What's the difference?

lax | relax |

As a noun lax

is a salmon.

As an adjective lax

is lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.

As an initialism LAX

is iATA airport code for Los Angeles International Airport.

As a verb relax is

to calm down.

lax

English

Alternative forms

* (Killian)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) lax, from (etyl) .

Noun

(laxes)
  • A salmon.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Adjective

    (er)
  • lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.
    • The rules are fairly lax , but you have to know which ones you can bend.
  • * J. A. Symonds
    • Society at that epoch was lenient, if not lax , in matters of the passions.
  • loose; not tight or taut.
    • The rope fell lax .
  • * Ray
    • the flesh of that sort of fish being lax and spongy
  • lacking care; neglectful, negligent
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Phil Dawkes , title=Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Prior to this match, Albion had only scored three league goals all season, but Wes Brown's lax marking allowed Morrison to head in their fourth from a Chris Brunt free-kick and then, a minute later, the initial squandering of possession and Michael Turner's lack of pace let Long run through to slot in another.}}
  • (archaic) Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.
    • Synonyms
    * permissive, lenient * loose, slack
    Antonyms
    * strict * taut, tight

    Noun

    (-)
  • lacrosse
    • ----

    relax

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To calm down.
  • To make something loose.
    • to relax''' a rope or cord; to '''relax the muscles or sinews
  • * Milton
    • Horror all his joints relaxed .
  • To become loose.
  • To make something less severe or tense.
    • to relax''' discipline; to '''relax one's attention or endeavours
  • To become less severe or tense.
  • To make something (such as codes and regulations) more lenient.
  • * Jonathan Swift
    • The stature of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
    {{quote-book
    , year=1953 , author=Edward Corwin , title=The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation , chapter=Section 2. Jurisdiction citation , page=589 , passage=The Court rejected the contention that the doctrine of sovereign immunity should be relaxed as inapplicable to suits for specific relief as distinguished from damage suits, saying: "The Government, as representative of the community as a whole, cannot be stopped in its tracks by any plaintiff who presents a disputed question of property or contract right."}}
  • (of codes and regulations) To become more lenient.
  • To relieve (something) from stress.
    • Amusement relaxes the mind.
  • (dated) To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open.
    • An aperient relaxes the bowels.

    Antonyms

    * stress, excite

    Derived terms

    * relaxable

    Anagrams

    * ----