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.
Re*lax", n. Relaxation. [Obs.] Feltham.
Re**lax", a. Relaxed; lax; hence, remiss; careless.
Re*lax"a*ble (-?-b'l), a. Capable of being relaxed.
Re*lax"ant (r?-l?ks"ant), n. [L. relaxans, p. pr. of relaxare.] (Med.)
A medicine that relaxes; a laxative.
Re`lax*a"tion (r?`l?ks-?"sh?n;277), 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.
Re*lax"a*tive (r?-l?ks"?-t?v), a. Having the quality of relaxing;
laxative. -- n. A relaxant. B. Jonson.
Re*lay" (r?-l?"), 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.
Re*lay" (r?-l?"), 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 others, so that a trveler may proceed without
delay. (b) A supply of hunting dogs or horses kept in readiness at
certain places to relive the tired dogs or horses, and to continue the
pursuit of the game if it comes that way. (c) A number of men who
relieve others in carrying on some work.
2. (Elec.) In various forms of telegraphic apparatus, a magnet which
receives the circuit current, and is caused by it to bring into into
action the power of a local battery for performing the work of making
the record; also, a similar device by which the current in one circuit
is made to open or close another circuit in which a current is passing.
Relay battery (Elec.), the local battery which is brought into use by
the action of the relay magnet, or relay.
Rel"bun (r?l"b?n), n. The roots of the Chilian plant Calceolaria
arachnoidea, -- used for dyeing crimson.
Re*leas"a*ble (r?-l?s"?-b'l), a. That may be released.
Re*lease" (r?-l?s"), v. t. [Pref. re + lease to let.] To lease again;
to grant a new lease of; to let back.
Re*lease" (r?-l?s"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Released (r?*l?st"); p. pr. &
vb. n. Releasing.] [OE. relessen, OF. relassier, to release, to let
free. See Relay, n., Relax, and cf. Release to lease again.] 1. To let
loose again; to set free from restraint, confinement, or servitude; to
give liberty to, or to set at liberty; to let go.
Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever
they desired.
Mark xv. 6.
2. To relieve from something that confines, burdens, or oppresses, as
from pain, trouble, obligation, penalty.
3. (Law) To let go, as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a
right to, as lands or tenements, by conveying to another who has some
right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases
his right to the tenant in possession; to quit.
4. To loosen; to relax; to remove the obligation of; as, to release an
ordinance. [Obs.] Hooker.
A sacred vow that none should aye release.
Spenser.
Syn. -- To free; liberate; loose; discharge; disengage; extricate; let
go; quit; acquit.
Re*lease", n. 1. The act of letting loose or freeing, or the state of
being let loose or freed; liberation or discharge from restraint of any
kind, as from confinement or bondage. "Who boast'st release from hell."
Milton.