lask

See also: Lask, läsk, läsk', łask, Łask, and lašk

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /lɑːsk/
  • (file)
  • (General American) IPA(key): /læsk/
  • Rhymes: -æsk, -ɑːsk

Etymology 1

From Middle English lasken (to diminish, weaken (the blood or other body fluids, body tissues, etc.); to thin (the blood through bloodletting); to alleviate (pain, sickness); to grow weak; to shorten (one’s life)) [and other forms],[1] from Old Northern French *lasquer, Old French lascher, laschier (to let go of, release; to loosen, relax) (modern French lâcher (to let go of, release; to loosen)), from Vulgar Latin *lascāre, *lassicāre, from Latin *laxicāre, the frequentative of Latin laxāre, the present active infinitive of laxō (to relax, weaken; to release, undo; to make wide, open), from laxus (free, loose, slack; roomy, spacious, wide),[2] ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-, *(s)leh₁g- (faint; weak).

Verb

lask (third-person singular simple present lasks, present participle lasking, simple past and past participle lasked)

  1. (intransitive, obsolete) To have loose bowels; to suffer from diarrhoea.
Alternative forms

Etymology 2

From Middle English laske (lax, weak; of the bowels: loose),[3] from Old Northern French *lasque, Old French laske, lasche (not taut or tight, limp) (modern French lâche (loose, slack)),[4] from Old French lascher, laschier (to let go of, release; to loosen, relax): see further at etymology 1.

Adjective

lask (comparative more lask, superlative most lask)

  1. (obsolete) Lax, weak; specifically of the bowels: affected by diarrhoea; loose.

Etymology 3

From the adjective: see etymology 2.[5]

Noun

lask (countable and uncountable, plural lasks)

  1. (uncountable, chiefly veterinary medicine) Originally of both persons and animals, now only of animals: looseness of the bowels; diarrhoea; (countable) a bout of this ailment.
    • 1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Panick”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. [], London: [] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book I, page 79:
      Pannick ſtoppeth the laske as Millet doth, being boiled (as Plinie reporteth) in Goates milk and drunke twiſe in a day.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Shame and Disgrace, Causes”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: [], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 1, section 2, member 3, subsection 6, page 88:
      A graue & learned Miniſter, and an ordinary Preacher at Alcmar in Holland, was one day (as hee was walking in the fields for his recreation) ſuddenly taken with a laske or looſeneſſe, and therevpon compelled to retire to the next ditch; but being ſurpriſed at vnawares, by ſome Gentlewomen of his Pariſh wandering that way; was ſo abaſhed, that hee did neuer after ſhew his head in publike, or come into the Pulpit, but pined away with melancholy: []
    • 1652, Nich[olas] Culpeper, “Hemp”, in The English Physitian: Or An Astrologo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation. [], London: [] Peter Cole, [], →OCLC, page 64, column 1:
      The Emulſion or Decoction of the Seed ſtaieth Lasks and continual Fluxes, eaſeth the Chollick, and allayeth the troubleſom Humors in the Bowels, []
Alternative forms

References

  1. lasken, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. lask, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021.
  3. laske, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. † lask, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
  5. lask, n.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021.

Further reading

Anagrams

Estonian

Etymology

Deverbal from laskma.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈlɑsk/, [ˈlɑsk]
  • Rhymes: -ɑsk
  • Hyphenation: lask

Noun

lask (genitive lasu, partitive lasku)

  1. shot, gunshot

Declension

Compounds

  • halastuslask
  • hoiatuslask
  • kahurilask
  • kuklalask
  • paarislask
  • proovilask
  • püstolilask
  • revolvrilask
  • rikošettlask
  • signaallask
  • suurtükilask
  • võistluslask
  • üksiklask

References

  • lask in Sõnaveeb
  • M. Langemets, M. Tiits, T. Valdre, L. Veskis, Ü. Viks, P. Voll, editors (2009), lask”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (online dictionary, in Estonian), 2nd edition, Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation)

Livonian

Alternative forms

  • (Courland) laskõ

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *laskëdak.

Verb

lask

  1. let
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