Obs. [ad. L. laxāre, f. lar-us LAX a.] trans. To make lax; to loosen, relax; to purge. Also absol.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VI. xxi. (1495), 210. Hote water clensyth and laxyth and pourgyth the wombe. Ibid., XVII. lv. 635. The whyte rote of Eleborus laxyth both vpwarde and dounwarde.
1528. Paynel, trans. Reg. Salerni (1535), 60 a. Butter … laxethe the bealye out of measure, and prouoketh one to vomyte.
1540. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, 15 b. Yf the woman … haue been longe sycke before her labor, yf she haue ben sore laxed [ed. 1552 lasked].
1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, II. l. 259. That we should laxe our selves in all the corrupt … pleasures of life.
1675. Evelyn, Terra (1676), 57. Laxing the parts, and giving easy deliverance to its offspring.
1685. Cotton, trans. Montaigne, I. liv. (1711), 470. An extream Fear, and an extream Ardour of Courage, do equally trouble and lax the Belly.
Hence Laxed ppl. a., made loose or slack, relaxed. Laxing vbl. sb., loosening.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 268. For brekyng of þe siphac & of his laxyng.
1623. Cockeram, II. Released, Laxed, Relaxed.
1679. Evelyn, Sylva, xxx. (ed. 3), 176. Those laxed parts, and Vessels by which the humour did ascend, grow dry and close.
1718. Prior, Solomon, III. 162. When the lax’d Sinews of the weaken’d Eye In wat’ry Damps or dim Suffusion lye.
