1. To make lax or loose; to make less close, firm, rigid, tense, or the like; to slacken; to loosen; to open; as,
to relax a rope or cord; to relax the muscles or sinews.
Horror . . . all his joints relaxed.
Milton.
Nor served it to relax their serried files.
Milton. 2. To make less severe or rigorous; to abate the stringency of; to remit in respect to strenuousness, earnestness,
or effort; as, to relax discipline; to relax one's attention or endeavors.
The statute of mortmain was at several times relaxed by the legislature.
Swift. 3. Hence, to relieve from attention or effort; to ease; to recreate; to divert; as, amusement relaxes the
mind.
4. To relieve from constipation; to loosen; to open; as, an aperient relaxes the bowels.
Syn. — To slacken; loosen; loose; remit; abate; mitigate; ease; unbend; divert.
Relax
(Re*lax"), v. i.
1. To become lax, weak, or loose; as, to let one's grasp relax.
His knees relax with toil.
Pope. 2. To abate in severity; to become less rigorous.
In others she relaxed again,
And governed with a looser rein.
Prior. 3. To remit attention or effort; to become less diligent; to unbend; as, to relax in study.
Relax
(Re*lax"), n. Relaxation. [Obs.] Feltham.
Relax
(Re**lax"), a. Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.
Relaxable
(Re*lax"a*ble) a. Capable of being relaxed.
Relaxant
(Re*lax"ant) n. [L. relaxans, p. pr. of relaxare.] (Med.) A medicine that relaxes; a laxative.
Relaxation
(Re`lax*a"tion) n. [L. relaxatio; cf. F. relaxation.]
1. The act or process of relaxing, or the state of being relaxed; as, relaxation of the muscles; relaxation
of a law.
2. Remission from attention and effort; indulgence in recreation, diversion, or amusement. "Hours of
careless relaxation." Macaulay.
Relaxative
(Re*lax"a*tive) a. Having the quality of relaxing; laxative. — n. A relaxant. B. Jonson.
Relay
(Re*lay") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Relaid (-l?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Relaying.] [Pref. re- + lay, v.] To
lay again; to lay a second time; as, to relay a pavement.
Relay
(Re*lay") n. [F. relais (cf. OF. relais relaxation, discontinuance, It. rilascio release, relief, rilasso
relay), fr. OF. relaissier to abandon, release, fr. L. relaxare. See Relax.]
1. A supply of anything arranged beforehand for affording relief from time to time, or at successive stages; provision
for successive relief. Specifically: (a) A supply of horses placced at stations to be in readiness to relieve
