loose end
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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.
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Nearby words
Idioms
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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.