become flabby with wrinkles

laxo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (rarely n.; v. I. B. 2. b. and II. B. b. infra) [id.], to stretch out, extend, to make wide or roomy, to expand.

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.—

Transf.

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.—

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.—

Neutr.:

crebris fluctibus compages operis verberatae laxavere,

were loosened, opened, Curt. 4, 3, 6.—

To lighten, ease:

pharetra graves laxavit umeros,

Sen. Herc. Oet. 787.—

Trop.

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.—

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.—

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.

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. —

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.