1
                           general:: 
                            1. At large free, as in That dog of theirs is on the loose all the time. [Second half of 1800s] 2. Acting without restraint, as in After the game the players were in town, on the loose. [Mid-1700s]
                        
                        
 
                        
                            American Heritage Idioms
                        
                        
                    
                    
                        2
                           general:: 
                            Phrase(s): on the loose 
running around free.  •  Look out! There is a bear on the loose from the zoo.  •  Most kids enjoy being on the loose when they go to college.
                        
                        
 
                        
                            McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs