lax

See also LAX

English

WOTD – 6 May 2009    

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /læks/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æks
• Homophone: lacks

Alternative forms

• lacks (Killian)

Etymology 1

From Middle English lax, from Old English leax (“salmon”), from Proto-Germanic *lahsaz (“salmon”), from Proto-Indo-European *lAḱis- (“salmon, trout”). Cognate with Middle Dutch lacks, lachs, lasche (“salmon”), Middle Low German las (“salmon”), German Lachs (“salmon”), Danish laks (“salmon”), Swedish lax (“salmon”), Icelandic lax (“salmon”), Lithuanian lašišà (“salmon”), Latvian lasis, Russian лосось (losos, “salmon”), Albanian leshterik (“eel-grass”). See also lox.

Noun

lax (plural laxes)

1. (Now chiefly UK dialectal, Scotland) A salmon.

Etymology 2

From Latin laxus (“wide, roomy, loose”)

Adjective

lax (comparative laxer, superlative laxest)

1. lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.

   The rules are fairly lax, but you have to know which ones you can bend.

2. loose; not tight or taut.

   The rope fell lax.

3. lacking care; neglectful, negligent
   • 2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, BBC Sport:

     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.

Synonyms

• (lenient, not strict): permissive, lenient
• (loose, not tight): loose, slack

Antonyms

• (lenient, not strict): strict
• (loose, not tight): taut, tight

Translations

not strict; lenient; allowing for deviation

• Armenian: մեղմ (hy) (meġm)
• Czech: uvolněný (cs), laxní (cs)
• Finnish: löysä (fi), höllä (fi), väljä (fi)
• French: laxiste (fr) m and f
• Georgian: არამკაცრი (ka) (aramkac’ri), ლმობიერი (ka) (lmobieri), ტოლერანტული (ka) (tolerantuli)
• German: lax (de)

• Hungarian: laza (hu), rugalmas (hu)
• Italian: lasso (it) m, lassista (it)
• Russian: нестрогий (ru) (nestrogij), необязательный (ru) (neobjazátel’nyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: socair (gd), saor (gd)
• Spanish: laxo (es)
• Swedish: slapp (sv)

loose; not tight or taut

• Armenian: թույլ (hy) (t’uyl)
• Czech: volný (cs)
• Finnish: löysä (fi)
• German: locker (de), lose (de)
• Italian: allentato (it) m, sciolto (it) m, lasso (it), lento (it), lasco (it)

• Russian: ненатянутый (ru) (nenatjanutyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: fuasgailte (gd)
• Spanish: flojo (es), suelto (es)
• Swedish: lös (sv)

lacking care

• Finnish: holtiton (fi); huolimaton (fi), piittaamaton (fi)
• French: laxiste (fr) m and f

• Italian: trascurato (it), negligente (it)

Noun

lax (uncountable)

1. lacrosse

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Dacian

Noun

lax

1. The edible wild purslane plant.

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German

Pronunciation

• Homophone: Lachs

Adjective

lax (comparative laxer, superlative am laxesten)

1. lax
2. (morale or ethics) easy, loose

Declension

positive forms of lax

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist lax	sie ist lax	es ist lax	sie sind lax
strong declension (without article)	nominative	laxer	laxe	laxes	laxe
	genitive	laxen	laxer	laxen	laxer
	dative	laxem	laxer	laxem	laxen
	accusative	laxen	laxe	laxes	laxe
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der laxe	die laxe	das laxe	die laxen
	genitive	des laxen	der laxen	des laxen	der laxen
	dative	dem laxen	der laxen	dem laxen	den laxen
	accusative	den laxen	die laxe	das laxe	die laxen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein laxer	eine laxe	ein laxes	(keine) laxen
	genitive	eines laxen	einer laxen	eines laxen	(keiner) laxen
	dative	einem laxen	einer laxen	einem laxen	(keinen) laxen
	accusative	einen laxen	eine laxe	ein laxes	(keine) laxen

comparative forms of lax

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist laxer	sie ist laxer	es ist laxer	sie sind laxer
strong declension (without article)	nominative	laxerer	laxere	laxeres	laxere
	genitive	laxeren	laxerer	laxeren	laxerer
	dative	laxerem	laxerer	laxerem	laxeren
	accusative	laxeren	laxere	laxeres	laxere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der laxere	die laxere	das laxere	die laxeren
	genitive	des laxeren	der laxeren	des laxeren	der laxeren
	dative	dem laxeren	der laxeren	dem laxeren	den laxeren
	accusative	den laxeren	die laxere	das laxere	die laxeren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein laxerer	eine laxere	ein laxeres	(keine) laxeren
	genitive	eines laxeren	einer laxeren	eines laxeren	(keiner) laxeren
	dative	einem laxeren	einer laxeren	einem laxeren	(keinen) laxeren
	accusative	einen laxeren	eine laxere	ein laxeres	(keine) laxeren

superlative forms of lax

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am laxesten	sie ist am laxesten	es ist am laxesten	sie sind am laxesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	laxester	laxeste	laxestes	laxeste
	genitive	laxesten	laxester	laxesten	laxester
	dative	laxestem	laxester	laxestem	laxesten
	accusative	laxesten	laxeste	laxestes	laxeste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der laxeste	die laxeste	das laxeste	die laxesten
	genitive	des laxesten	der laxesten	des laxesten	der laxesten
	dative	dem laxesten	der laxesten	dem laxesten	den laxesten
	accusative	den laxesten	die laxeste	das laxeste	die laxesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein laxester	eine laxeste	ein laxestes	(keine) laxesten
	genitive	eines laxesten	einer laxesten	eines laxesten	(keiner) laxesten
	dative	einem laxesten	einer laxesten	einem laxesten	(keinen) laxesten
	accusative	einen laxesten	eine laxeste	ein laxestes	(keine) laxesten

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Icelandic

Etymology

Old Norse lax < Proto-Germanic *lahsaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /laɡs/

Noun

lax m (genitive singular lax, plural laxar)

1. salmon

Declension

declension of lax

m-s1	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	lax	laxinn	laxar	laxarnir
accusative	lax	laxinn	laxa	laxana
dative	laxi	laxinum	löxum	löxunum
genitive	lax	laxins	laxa	laxanna

Derived terms

• laxbleikur:
• laxbleikur litur m

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Lojban

Rafsi

lax

1. rafsi of lanxe.

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Swedish

Etymology

Old Norse lax < Proto-Germanic *lahsaz.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Noun

lax c

1. salmon
2. (slang) a bill with nominal value 1000 kronor or the corresponding amount of money

Declension

Declension of lax

	singular		plural
Common	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	lax	laxen	laxar	laxarna
genitive	lax	laxens	laxars	laxarnas

Derived terms

• laxrosa