relaxationn.
/ˌriːlakˈseɪʃn/, U.S. /rəˌlækˈseɪʃ(ə)n/, /riˌlækˈseɪʃ(ə)n/ 1. Medicine and Physiology. Originally: loosening, slackening, or softening, esp. of a part of the body; diminution of firmness or tension; †paralysis (obsolete). In later use: spec. reduction in tension of muscle, esp. following contraction. Also: an instance of this.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > loose or stiff condition > [noun] > action of producing
laxingc1400
relaxation?a1425
supplying1534
suppling1542
unstiffening1832
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > diseases of tissue > [noun] > alteration of tissue > loosening or slackening
relaxation?a1425
apoptosis1749
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 105v (MED) Sikenesse of þe palpebre..Of þe scabie, Of fallyng, Of relaxacioun, Of inviscacioun of þe same.
1543 B. Traheron tr. J. de Vigo Most Excellent Wks. Chirurg. i. ii. f. 74 v/1 The fyrst [kind of rupture] is called relaxation, loosynge, or mollification. This relaxation commeth, when the pannicle called Siphac is mollifyed.
1596 P. Lowe Easie Method to cure Spanish Sicknes iv. sig. B3 The fifth kind is that which makes such relaxation, that paralize followes in one member, or generally taketh away the motion of the whole body.
1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum 14 There is also a secret Vertue of Relaxation in Cold: For the Heat of the body bindeth the Parts and Humours together, which Cold relaxeth.
1661 R. Lovell Πανζωορυκτολογια, sive Panzoologicomineralogia 289 The head is heavy with sleepe, and there is a relaxation of the nerves and ligaments.
1684 tr. S. Blankaart Physical Dict. 269 Strabismus, Squinting, is occasioned by the Relaxation, Contraction, Distorsion, too great Length, or too great Shortness of the Muscles which move the Eye.
1705 F. Fuller Medicina Gymnastica Pref. sig. a4 It is..impossible to remove some Diseases of the Limbs, without an universal equal Relaxation.
1785 W. Cowper Task i. 82 Relaxation of the languid frame, By soft recumbency of outstretch'd limbs.
1808 J. Barclay Muscular Motions 303 That state of relaxation which a muscle exhibits in the dead body.
1857 W. R. Bullock tr. P. Cazeaux Theoret. & Pract. Treat. Midwifery (ed. 2) 129 The relaxation of the pelvic symphyses is a frequent occurrence.
1879 St. George's Hosp. Rep. 9 677 The ophthalmoscope..yielded evidence of arterial relaxation.
1968 New Eng. Jrnl. Med. 8 Feb. 318/1 Digitalis..produces venous relaxation in patients with cardiac failure.
2004 Times Lit. Suppl. 17 Sept. 5/2 The Nobel Prize-winning discovery that nitric oxide played a role in smooth muscle relaxation.
2. † b. Scots Law. Release from a judicial restriction, esp. from a sentence of exile or diligence (diligence n.1 5); the process granting such release. Obsolete (historical in later use).† c. Release from captivity; restoration to freedom. Obsolete.
a. Partial (or †complete) remission of a duty or penalty; a reduction in the balance of a debt. Also: †a document granting this (obsolete).
ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal obligation > [noun] > legal liability > exemption from liability
relaxation1440
indemnity1670
society > morality > duty or obligation > moral or legal constraint > immunity or exemption from liability > [noun] > remission of something due
remissiona1382
releasea1387
pardonc1387
relaxation1440
pardoningc1443
loosing1495
general discharge1565
absolute discharge1572
remitter1726
1440 J. Capgrave Life St. Norbert (1977) l. 688 Abbotis and priouris were bysi in þat place To have relaxacioun of here obseruaunce.
a1500 (?c1425) Speculum Sacerdotale (1936) 223 (MED) Tho..ben sowles..that haue frendes in the worlde that purueþ for hem remedie and relaxacion.
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection ii. sig. Miiii The plenary remissions ben euer referred commonly to relaxacion of peyne.
1533–4 Act 25 Hen. VIII c. 21 §1 Licenses, faculties, grantis, relaxacions, writtes called Perinde valere, rehabilitacions, abolitions, and other infinite sortes of buls.
1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage viii. x. 662 He..procured a relaxation of tribute from his father in law.
1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. iii. 19 Others conceive this relaxation indulged in favour to some great offenders.
1688 J. Barnes Hist. Edward III iii. ix. 633 He might obtain a Relaxation of some part of his Ransom.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. (at cited word) In this Sense we say the Relaxation of an Attachment, in the Court of Admiralty.
1791 E. Burke Let. 15 Dec. in Corr. (1967) VI. 463 Hitherto all relaxation of Penalties proceeded on principles of Union.
1846 H. H. Wilson Hist. Brit. India 1805–35 II. x. 405 Some relaxation was admitted in regard to the tributes.
1889 Times 22 Jan. 3/5 The success of the Republican candidate was no doubt a disappointment to some who had anticipated some relaxation in the protective tariff.
1967 Jrnl. Southern Hist. 33 419 The relaxation of taxes to entice industry and migrants was an integral part of the state's way of life.
2005 M. Uvalic in D. Dimitrova & J. Vilrokx Trade Union Strategies Central & E. Europe v. 157 Budget constraints were maintained through..the relaxation or cancelling of tax obligations.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > judging > sentencing > [noun] > execution of judgement > reprieve, remission, or release from penalty
releasing1395
retreatinga1450
relaxation1520
reprivation1583
reprievala1586
reprieve1594
remission1625
reprievement1633
remish1958
1520 in W. Fraser Memorials Montgomeries (1859) II. 91 For the relaxatione and redemptione of my lands.
1546 in J. H. Burton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1877) 1st Ser. I. 59 His grace sall nowther giff respect nor remissioun, supersedere nor relaxatioun, to na maner of persoun..that sal happin to committ slauchter.
1596 in W. Fraser Memorials Montgomeries (1859) II. 91 Jhone oblisses hyme..to..brouk the forsaid rigis ane ȝeir efter the relaxation without ony impediement.
1601 Acts Sederunt Scotl. (1790) 34 Na relaxatioun..sall be grantit to ony rebell lawfullie denunceit to the horne.
1681 J. Dalrymple Inst. Law Scotl. ii. xxv. 61 Horning is taken off..by Relaxation, which requireth the same Solemnities of Publication, and Registration as Hornings do.
1752 J. Louthian Form of Process (ed. 2) 140 Follows the Letters of Relaxation on the foresaid Petition and Interlocutor.
1774 Decisions Court of Session till 1764 1 446 The Lords found, that relaxations must be executed at the headburgh of that same shire where the denunciation was made.
1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scotl. 844 In criminal prosecutions, one who has been outlawed may appeal..for letters of relaxation, reponing him against the sentence.
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society > authority > lack of subjection > freedom or liberty > liberation > [noun] > release from confinement
unbinding1382
releasing1395
loosing1415
dischargec1458
enlargement1540
release1559
relaxationa1578
unloosing1578
bail1598
loosening1598
releasant1606
enlarge1608
dismission1609
eluctation1627
to let go1631
relaxating1647
unfetteringa1653
disimprisonment1656
disimprisoning1659
absolute discharge1729
disincarceration1831
decarceration1963
a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 310 The relaxatioun of the saullis..quhilk is contenitt in the panis of purgatorie.
1609 Bible (Douay) I. Neh. Argt. Who in the former writ the historie of the Israelites after theyr relaxation from captiuite.
1640 M. P. Britaines Honour (broadsheet) The other being taken Prisoner, is now (upon relaxation) course to Yorke to his Majestie.
d. With reference to the Inquisition: the practice of handing over a heretic to a secular authority for execution. historical in later use.See etymological note at relax v.
ΘΚΠ
society > faith > aspects of faith > heresy > search for heresy > [noun] > transfer to secular power
relaxation1708
1708 tr. Acct. Cruelties by Inquisition in Portugal 81 Those that confess after the Sentence of Relaxation..is made known to them..are allowed to clear themselves of their Demenution, through torture.
1826 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 20 84 Relaxation is the act by which the Inquisitors deliver over a person convicted of heresy to the royal judge ordinary, that he may be condemned to a capital punishment.
1894 Month Mar. 335 The sentence of ‘relaxation’ comprised three parts; the judgment of the Inquisition, the verdict of the secular magistrate, and the execution—all this on the same day.
1908 H. C. Lea Inquisition in Spanish Dependencies vi. 235 A second torture was endured with the same indifference and he was condemned to relaxation as an apostate heretic.
1995 A. C. Gow Red Jews vi. 147 David Reubeni..eventually fell into the hands of the Spanish Inquisition, which condemned him in 1538 to relaxation.
3. † b. With of. Respite from something. Obsolete. rare.
a. Recreation or rest, esp. after a period of work; respite from mental or physical stress. Also as a count noun: a relaxing activity or pastime.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > [noun] > relaxation
relaxation1548
unbending1552
relax1597
decompression1951
unwinding1977
1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Luke ix. 84 b For of suche sorte ought the pastyme & relaxacion of suche men as are followers of the apostles to bee.
1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxx. 193 Those poore and needie..at these times made pertakers of relaxation and ioy with others.
1663 A. Cowley Ess. in Verse & Prose (1669) 2 To thy bent mind some relaxation give, And steal one day out of thy life to live.
a1682 Sir T. Browne Christian Morals (1716) iii. 114 Make Pleasure thy Recreation or intermissive Relaxation, not thy Diana, Life and Profession.
1712 J. Addison Spectator No. 487. ¶3 In this case Dreams look like the Relaxations and Amusements of the Soul.
1757 E. Burke Philos. Enq. Sublime & Beautiful iv. §10. 133 [The eye] has a sort of relaxation or rest.
1818 W. Hazlitt Lect. Eng. Poets ii. 68 The genius of his poetry..is inspired by the love of ease, and relaxation from all the cares and business of life.
1876 J. R. Lowell Among my Bks. 2nd Ser. 137 It is no marvel when even their relaxations were such downright hard work.
1915 W. Cather Song of Lark i. xviii. 133 She had a whole dossier of evidence about his behavior in his hours of relaxation in Denver.
1945 B. K. Johnstone Building or buying House 50 Concurrent with the rapid pace of modern living comes the need for relaxation and a change of scenery.
2006 A. Robbins Overachievers xv. 337 Students..aren't told to set aside time for relaxation, and they don't always recognize the importance of doing so.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ceasing > temporary cessation of activity or operation > [noun] > (a) respite
spalea1250
lithec1300
respitec1330
sabbath1398
vacationc1425
respetta1450
respectc1450
repose?1549
intermission1576
bait1580
sob1593
respiration1611
vacation1614
suspension1645
relaxation1728
relax1733
1728 E. Haywood tr. M.-A.. de Gomez Belle Assemblée (new ed.) II. 256 The little Walk would give..Julia some Relaxation of Speech, and the better enable her to continue her Recital.
4. Freedom from or reduction in severity or harshness; esp. the action of making a law or rule less strict; an instance of this. Also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > lack of strictness > [noun] > lessening of strictness or severity
remiss1589
relaxation1593
relax1597
remorse of equity1597
relentment1628
thaw1950
1593 T. Bell Motives Romish Faith ii. v. 63 Dispensation properly is the relaxation of the Law. wherevpon since a vow is of the law divine, dispensation must bee remission of the law divine.
a1627 W. Sclater Expos. 4th Chapter Rom. (1650) 116 I..can but wonder, How the severity of Laws against Popish Seminaries hath gotten relaxation.
1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso i. v. 8 Wholesome Institutions, which after a relaxation, are at last quite forgotten.
1692 R. South 12 Serm. I. 486 The Scripture that allows of the Will, is neither the Abrogation, nor Derogation, nor Dispensation, nor Relaxation of that Law.
1739 D. Hume Treat. Human Nature III. ii. 193 For otherwise the diminution of the interest would never produce a relaxation of the morality.
1772 ‘Junius’ Stat Nominis Umbra I. Pref. p. xv These are not times to admit of any relaxation in the little discipline we have left.
1835 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece I. 298 The root of the evil lay in the relaxation of the royal authority.
1873 J. A. Symonds Stud. Greek Poets iv. 104 The relaxation of Ionian life..rendered the development of satire in Ionia more natural.
1911 G. B. Shaw Getting Married Pref. in Doctor's Dilemma 160 The people whose conception of marriage is a farm-yard or slave-quarter conception are always more or less in a panic lest the slightest relaxation of the marriage laws should utterly demoralize society.
1988 F. Spalding Stevie Smith ii. 29 Some penalties also disappeared and there was a slight relaxation of the rules.
2003 Economist 18 Jan. (Survey of Iran Suppl.) 16/1 Iranians have been given little more than a relaxation of some of the rules governing the way they must live.
5. Abatement of intensity, vigour, or energy; an instance of this.
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the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [noun] > becoming less violent, vigorous, or severe
lissc1000
remissionc1425
abatement1433
swagingc1440
remittinga1475
slacking1542
remissness1551
subsiding1607
slackening1611
relaxation1614
relentment1628
rebatement1701
relaxing1734
1614 H. Wotton Let. 10 Sept. in L. P. Smith Life & Lett. Sir H. Wotton (1907) II. 48 After the quieting or relaxation of these affairs.
1695 J. Woodward Ess. Nat. Hist. Earth 127 Relaxation of the Heat.
1757 E. Burke Philos. Enq. Sublime & Beautiful iv. §20. 152 Disposing to an universal relaxation, and inducing..that species of it called sleep.
a1781 R. Watson Hist. Reign Philip III (1783) iii. 244 It might occasion too great a relaxation of the vigour which you have been so long accustomed to exert.
a1817 J. Austen Northanger Abbey (1818) II. xiv. 293 ‘I really have not patience with the General,’ was uttered twice after Mr. Allen left the room, without any relaxation of anger, or any material digression of thought. View more context for this quotation
1875 C. Lyell & L. Lyell Princ. Geol. (ed. 12) I. ii. xx. 514 The grassy covering of the sloping talus marks a temporary relaxation of the erosive action of the sea.
1909 R. M. Alden Introd. to Poetry vi. 343 The shifting strophic structure and metrical variety permit the form to represent the tension and relaxation of the poet's emotion.
1968 L. M. Friedman Govt. & Slum Housing ii. 44 Some relaxation of passion is afterwards hard to avoid.
2005 J. Portal Art under Control N. Korea iii. 60 The normalization of relations between North Korea and China occurred during 1970 following the relaxation of the intensity of the Cultural Revolution.
6. Chiefly Physics. The gradual return of a system towards equilibrium or a steady state; spec. the reduction of stress caused by gradual plastic deformation in material held at constant strain.
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the world > time > change > change to something else, transformation > change of direction, reversion > [noun] > of material things
recovery1846
relaxation1867
the world > matter > physics > mechanics > dynamics > statics > [noun] > equal balance of opposing forces > return towards equilibrium
relaxation1867
the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > stress or force exerted and tending to deform > [noun] > alteration of form or dimensions caused by stress > restoring force > return to original condition
relaxation1937
1867 J. C. Maxwell in Proc. Royal Soc. 15 170 Any strain existing in air at rest would diminish according to the values of an exponential term... This relaxation is due to the mutual deflection of the molecules from their paths.
1937 Trans. Amer. Soc. Mech. Engineers 59 451/2 There are many reasons why relaxation tests at constant extension are useful and significant.
?c1950 Nickel Alloy Spring Materials 6 At elevated temperatures all the high nickel alloys display relatively low relaxation.
1993 Adv. in Atomic, Molecular, & Optical Physics 30 222 The cross section for relaxation between the ground-state hyperfine levels ranges between 10−34–10−19 cm2.
2006 B. L. Ibey et al. in C. D. Geddes & J. R. Lakowicz Glucose Sensing iv. 97 Following relaxation, energy is transferred non-radiatively to an ‘acceptor’ molecule.
7. Engineering and Mathematics. A method of approximately solving a set of simultaneous equations (originally, ones describing the equilibrium of a rigid load-bearing structure) by making an initial approximation and successively modifying it, each modification improving the accuracy with which it satisfies one of the equations until a desired level of accuracy for each equation is reached. Frequently attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > algebra > [noun] > expression > equation > solution to > method of finding
relaxation1935
operation1940
1935 R. V. Southwell in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 151 60 The method of systematic relaxation... Imagine that one constraint is relaxed, so that one joint is permitted to travel slowly through a specified distance in some specified direction.
1957 L. Fox Numerical Solution Two-point Boundary Probl. iii. 39 In most problems of the type suitable for relaxation the equations can be arranged so that the biggest coefficient in any row lies in the diagonal.
1972 Physics Bull. May 273/1 During the war, Southwell and his team had been extending relaxation methods from redundant pin-jointed frameworks to the stress analysis of the continuum.
2007 W. H. Press et al. Numerical Recipes (ed. 3) xviii. 958 The previous solution is usually a good initial guess when the parameter is changed, and relaxation will work well.
Compounds
C1.
relaxation exercise n.
ΚΠ
1884 Sabbath School Mag. Aug. 206 It is not wicked nor a desecration of the Lord's day, to introduce recreation and relaxation exercises of a simple kind into the routine of the infant class.
1925 Musical Times 66 174/2 Simple relaxation exercises—e.g., strike a plain triad, hold it, and then relax without releasing the keys.
2006 R. B. Williams & V. P. Williams In Control v. 99 Initially, Harry wasn't willing to consider any relaxation exercise that lasted more than a minute, because he was skeptical about the benefits.
C2.
relaxation oscillator n. a form of oscillator in which the period and resulting waveform are determined by the slow charge and rapid discharge of a resistor-capacitor or inductor-capacitor circuit.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electronics > electronic devices or components > [noun] > oscillator > types of
multivibrator1919
squegger1921
relaxation oscillator1931
sweeper1967
Wien bridge oscillator1967
1931 Brit. Patent 350,443 1/2 An electrical system capable of generating sustained oscillations, constituted, in the present case, by a relaxation oscillator.
1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) XI. 438/2 One of the most widely used forms of relaxation oscillator is the astable multivibrator..which generates a rectangular or square wave.
2006 B. L. Bardakjian in J. D. Bronzino Biomedical Engin. Fund. (ed. 3) vi. 6 The electrical rhythmic activity of the small intestine behaves like a system of coupled relaxation oscillators.
relaxation tape n. a cassette (or other form of recording) intended to aid and promote relaxation, by means of spoken instruction in various techniques or exercises, calming music or sound effects, or a combination of these.
ΚΠ
1967 W. L. Mealiea Compar. Effectiveness Systematic Desensitization & Implosive Therapy in Elimination of Snake Phobia (Ph.D. thesis) 25 The experimenter..turned on the tape recorder which played the 30-minute relaxation tape.
1977 San Antonio (Texas) Light 2 June 4 d The centre is looking for male volunteers..for a project that will study relaxation... Participants..may be required to listen to a prerecorded relaxation tape twice a day for the 17 days.
2005 Yoga Apr. 9/3 Building deep relaxation into your life through yoga,..playing relaxation tapes or music that calms you, and having wind down time before you go to bed..is essential.
relaxation technique n. an exercise or procedure intended to have a calming or relaxing effect, such as meditation, massage, etc.
ΚΠ
1940 Charleston (W. Va.) Gaz. 26 Feb. 6/3 Relaxation techniques are simple enough in themselves.
2003 Philadelphia Inquirer 16 May b9/3 TM [sc. Transcendental Meditation] has proved a popular and enduring relaxation technique in the West.
relaxation therapy n. therapy using techniques such as meditation, massage, etc., to promote and aid relaxation; also as a count noun.
ΚΠ
1904 Mod. Med. Oct. 234/1 A paper..read before the Medical Academy of Paris, on the ‘Relaxation Therapy’.
1977 Sci. News 26 Mar. 204/2 Biofeedback, various relaxation therapies and meditation have also been used successfully in treating some cases.
2003 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 2 Mar. (Body & Soul section) 10/3 Drug-free relaxation therapy is a well-established form of alternative medicine that entered the Australian mainstream in 1968.
relaxation time n. (a) a time set aside for relaxation; (b) Science the time taken for a system to return to a state of equilibrium; spec. (in cases in which the process of return is exponential), the time taken for the deviation from equilibrium to be reduced by a factor e.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > physics > mechanics > dynamics > statics > [noun] > equal balance of opposing forces > return towards equilibrium > time taken
relaxation time1830
settling time1951
1830 Westm. Rev. Oct. 431 Learned gentlemen..must have their relaxation time.
1864 E. Tabor Janita's Cross I. xi. 126 She often had recourse to tears, but it was always during relaxation time.
1867 J. C. Maxwell in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 157 53 A time T, which may be called the ‘time of relaxation’ of the elastic force.]
1897 A. G. Webster Theory Electr. & Magn. xii. 472 We shall here..call the time in which the current decreases in the ration 1/e the relaxation-time... Increasing the capacity or the self-induction increases the relaxation-time.
1981 Times 23 Nov. 1/7 The company wants to reduce daily relaxation time from 5 to 40 minutes.
1996 Q. Jrnl. Royal Astron. Soc. 37 638 The Sun is a B star, whose Galactic orbit therefore has a relaxation time of ≳ 200 Myr.
2004 R. Langdon Understanding Cosmetic Laser Surg. 32 They considered the physical properties of small blood vessels, including their..relaxation time, a measure of how quickly a structure cools down after being heated.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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