loose end
noun
a part or piece left hanging, unattached, or unused: Remind me to tack down that loose end on the stairway carpet.
an unsettled detail, as of a business matter: The arrangements have been made, except for a few loose ends.
QUIZZES
DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?
"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
Idioms for loose end
at loose ends, in an uncertain or unsettled situation or position: Ever since leaving the company, he's been at loose ends.Also at a loose end.
Origin of loose end
First recorded in 1540–50
Words nearby loose end
loos, loose, loose cannon, loose change, loose cover, loose end, loose ends, loose forward, loose head, loose metal, loose order
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for loose ends
loose end
noun
a detail that is left unsettled, unexplained, or incomplete
at a loose end without purpose or occupation
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with loose ends
loose ends
Unfinished details, incomplete business. For example, We've not quite finished the project; there are still some loose ends. This expression alludes to the ends of a rope or cable that should be fastened. [Mid-1800s] Also see at loose ends.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.