Definition lax
Etymology 1
From Middle English lax, from Old English leax (“salmon”), from Proto-Germanic *lahsaz (“salmon”), from Proto-Indo-European *laḱs- (“salmon, trout”). Cognate with Middle Dutch lacks, lachs, lasche (“salmon”), Middle Low German las (“salmon”), German Lachs (“salmon”), Norwegian laks (“salmon”), Danish laks (“salmon”), Swedish lax (“salmon”), Icelandic lax (“salmon”), Lithuanian lašišà (“salmon”), Latvian lasis, Russian лосо́сь (losósʹ, “salmon”), Albanian leshterik (“eel-grass”). See also lox.
Noun
lax (plural laxes)
- (now chiefly Britain dialectal, Scotland) A salmon.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Latin laxus (“wide, roomy, loose”).
Adjective
lax (comparative laxer, superlative laxest)
- Lenient and allowing for deviation; not strict.
- Loose; not tight or taut.
- Lacking care; neglectful, negligent.
- (archaic) Having a looseness of the bowels; diarrheal.
- (mathematics) Describing an associative monoidal functor.
Etymology 3
Noun
lax (uncountable)
- (slang) Lacrosse.