rĕ-laxo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to stretch out or widen again; to unloose, loosen, open (class.; cf.: solvo, libero).
I Lit.: alvus tum astringitur, tum relaxatur, Cic. N. D. 2, 54, 136; cf.: tum astringentibus se intestinis tum relaxantibus, id. ib. 2, 55, 138: densa relaxare (opp. rara densare), Verg. G. 1, 419: dissolvunt nodos omnes et vincla relaxant, Lucr. 6, 356: tunicarum vincula, Ov. F. 2, 321; cf. nodos (sc. aquaï), Lucr. 6, 878 (with exsolvere glaciem); cf.: fontibus ora, Ov. M. 1, 281: caecos fontes, Sil. 3, 51: glaebas, to loosen , Varr. R. R. 1, 27, 2: humum, Col. 11, 3, 46 Schneid. N. cr.; Pall. 2, 13, 3: vias et caeca Spiramenta, Verg. G. 1, 89: claustra, Ov. Am. 1, 6, 17; cf. flores, Sen. Thyest. 903: diversa bracchia, to spread out , Sil. 14, 399: arcum, to unbend , Sen. Agam. 322: ut, quae (aedificia) sunt vetustate sublapsa, relaxentur in melius, restored , Plin. Ep. 10, 70 (75), 1 Keil (al. reparentur).—
II Trop., to slacken , ease , lighten , alleviate , mitigate , soften , assuage; to cheer up , enliven , relax (a favorite word of Cic.; cf.: relevo, recreo, mitigo): animos doctrinā, Cic. Arch. 6, 12; cf.: tu a contentionibus cottidie relaxes aliquid, id. Leg. 1, 4, 11: quaero enim non quibus intendam rebus animam, sed quibus relaxem, ac remittam, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 329, 7, and 383, 23: constructio verborum tum conjunctionibus copuletur, tum dissolutionibus relaxetur, id. Part. 6, 21: pater nimis indulgens, quicquid ego astrinxi, relaxat, id. Att. 10, 6, 2: animus somno relaxatus, id. Div. 2, 48, 100: animum, id. Brut. 5, 21; id. Rep. 1, 9, 14; cf.: relaxare animos et dare se jucunditati, id. Off. 1, 34, 122: ut ex pristino sermone relaxarentur animi omnium, id. de Or. 1, 8, 29: anxiferas curas requiete, id. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22 (risus) tristitiam ac severitatem mitigat et relaxat, id. de Or. 2, 58, 236; cf.: tristem vultum relaxare, Sen. Cons. ad Helv. 15; and, with this, cf.: relaxato in hilaritatem vultu, Petr. 49, 8: ne nocturna quidem quiete diurnum laborem relaxante, Curt. 5, 13, 5: mores aetas lasciva relaxat, i. e. makes dissolute , Claud. Prob. et Olybr. 153: (animi) cum se plane corporis vinculis relaxaverint, Cic. Sen. 22, 81; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 330: se occupationibus, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 5; id. Att. 16, 16, 2: se a nimiā necessitate, id. Or. 52, 176. — Mid.: homines quamvis in turbidis rebus sint, tamen interdum animis relaxantur, Cic. Phil. 2, 16, 39: insani cum relaxentur, when they come to themselves , when the attack abates , id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 17, 52.— Absol. : (dolor) si longus, levis; dat enim intervalla et relaxat, Cic. Fin. 2, 29, 94.