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of physical action) natural; graceful; not stiff or awkward:
Hit the ball with a long free swing of the arm. | The skirt hung
in free folds from the waist. 10 [F+with] ready to give; gener-
ous: She's very free with her money. | He's too free with his
advice. (=gives advice when it isn't wanted) 11 [ml] too
friendly; lacking in respect; not controlled by politeness:
Your son's manner is rather free in the presence of his teach-
ers. 12 [no comp.] tech (in chemistry) not combined with any
type of matter (ELEMENT); pure: free oxygen 13 for free infml
without payment: I got this ticket for free. 14 free and easy
lacking in too great seriousness and ceremony; cheerful and
unworried: She leads a free and easy sort of life and never
troubles much about anything. 15 [+ (on)] free ride some-
thing obtained free that another must pay for: welfare
recipients getting a free ride on taxpayers' money | She's been
taking a free ride on her boss's expense account. 16 make
free with to use (something) without respect or as if it is
one's own: She's made free with my cigarettes during my
absence. (=has taken as many as she wanted without asking
me) -> see also FREEDOM, FREELY
free² adv 1 without payment: Babies are allowed to travel free
on buses. 2 in an uncontrolled manner: Don't let the dog run
free on the main road. 3 in a loose position; so as to be no
longer joined: Two screws in this old wooden door have
worked themselves free. (=loosened or fallen out as a result of
use) | The window had stuck, but I pushed it hard and it
swung free.
USAGE Compare free and freely in the following
sentences: You can travel free with this special ticket.
(=without payment) | You can travel freely to all parts of
the country. (=without limitation)
free³ v freed /fri:d/ [T] 1 [(from)] to allow to go free; RELEASE:
When will the prisoners be freed? | She freed the bird from its
cage. 2 [(from)] to move or loosen (a person or thing that is
prevented from moving): Part of the old wall fell on the
workman, and it took half an hour to free him. | Her dress got
caught on a rose bush, and she tore it when she tried to free
it/herself from the thorns. 3 [+obj+to-v] to take away condi-
tions that stop someone doing something: Giving up my job
freed me to spend more time with the children.
free sbdy./sthg. from/of sthg. phr v [T] to take away from (a
person, animal, or place) anything uncomfortable, incon-
venient, difficult, unwelcome etc: We must free the world
from hunger. | She can't free herself of the idea that someone's
watching her all the time. | He opened the window to free the
room of smoke.
free up phr v [T[free sbdy./sthg. up]] to make available for use:
Cancelling this appointment will free up two hours this
afternoon. | Take this bag so I can free a hand up to open the
door.
free 'agent n someone who can act as they choose: No one
can force you to do that - you're a free agent.
free-and-'easy adj not controlled by or needing formal
rules or instructions: a free-and-easy lifestyle/manner of
speaking
free asso'ciation n [U] tech (in PSYCHOLOGY) a way of
studying someone's SUBCONSCIOUS mind by getting them to
say the first word they think of when each of a number of
words is spoken to them
'free-,base v [I] slang to smoke a specially prepared mixture of
the drug COCAINE
free-bie, -bee /'fri:bi:/ n infml something, such as a meal or
a gift, that is given or received without payment
free-board /'fri:bɔ:d||-bɔ:rd/ n [C;U] the distance between
the level of the water and the upper edge of the side of a
boat
free-boot-er /'fri:bu:tə/ n lit a person who makes war in
order to grow rich by seizing other people's money and
goods; PIRATE
free-born /ˌfri:'bɔ:n ||-ɔ:rn/ adj not born as a slave
Free 'Church n any of the Protestant religious groups in the
UK that are not part of the Church of England. The Free
Churches include the Baptists, the Methodists, the United
Reformed Church, and the Church of Scotland, and they are
generally thought to have rather strict ideas about sexual
behaviour and the drinking of alcohol.
Free Church of 'Scotland, the a small group of
Protestant Christians mainly in the Highlands of Scotland,
especially known for being against any form of work on
Sundays. Its members are often called wee frees. -> see also
FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, THE
free col,lective 'bargaining n [U] BrE talks between
TRADE UNIONS and employers about increases in pay,
improvements in conditions etc that are not controlled by
legal limits
free-dom /'fri:dəm/ n 1 [U(from)] the state of being free; not
being under control: During the school holidays the children
enjoyed their freedom. | The people there are fighting to gain
their freedom from foreign control. | He's enjoying his new-
found freedom. | freedom from anxiety 2 [C;U (of)] the power
to do, say, think, or write whatever one wants to: Two of the
four freedoms spoken of by President Roosevelt in 1941 are
freedom of speech and freedom of religion. | The journal-
ists claimed that they were being denied freedom of
expression. | You may have complete freedom of action in
dealing with