Part 182

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.

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.

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.