English

Adjective

freehanded ‎(comparative more freehanded, superlative most freehanded)

1. Openhanded; generous.
   • 1995, Dennis Hirota, Wind in the pines: classic writings of the way of tea as a Buddhist path, page 343:

     In the title, "Entering the marketplace freehanded," the "marketplace" represents a village, a place of human habitation, and "freehanded" signifies openheartedly guiding others in the spirit of compassion.

   • 1866, Isaak August Dorner, History of the development of the doctrine of the person of Christ:

     God is love, at once penurious and freehanded : He seeks to take, as well as to give.

   • 1994, Roxana Stuart, Stage Blood: Vampires of the 19th Century Stage, ISBN 0879726601, page 91:

     Captious though ...theatrical audiences could be, freehanded with rotten fruit on occasion, they seem to have suspended disbelief enthusiastically

2. Freehand, unassisted.
   • 2014, Dale A. Miles & Robert A Danforth, Cone Beam Computed Tomography: From Capture to Reporting, ISBN 0323311792, page 622:

     In vitro experiments simulating clinical conditions have demostrated that fully guided placement is more accurate than freehanded placement.

   • 2011, Daniel H. Kim, ‎Alexander R. Vaccaro, ‎& Richard Glenn Fessler, Spinal Instrumentation: Surgical Techniques, ISBN 1604065095, page 212:

     The single-barrel, freehanded drill guide is then used with the 2.5 mm drill bit to make the pilot holes in the inner vertebra.

   • 2011, Skya Abbate, Advanced Techniques in Oriental Medicine, ISBN 3131608919, page 12:

     A Japanese needle with the insertion tube is an easy painless way to insert a needle both gently and sterilely, such that the force of insertion sometimes caused by a freehanded insertion does not overcome the patient.

3. Unconstrained.
   • 1922, American Shipping - Volume 16, page 43:

     The action was taken, an official of the line said, in view of the possibility of the North Atlantic intercoastal disturbance being reflected in some measure in the Gulf, and the consequent desire of the Luckenbach interests to be freehanded to meet any situations that may arise.

   • 2010, John MacArthur, The Prodigal Son: The Inside Story of a Father, His Sons, and a Shocking Murder, ISBN 140020268X, page 202:

     In this person's freehanded reinterpretation, we're encouraged to visualize the father as an aloof family patriarch who thoughtlessly drives his younger son away by neglect.

   • 2011, Cathy Wilkerson, Flying Close to the Sun: My Life and Times as a Weatherman, ISBN 1609800702, page 301:

     Hoffman's freehanded approach to the law in silencing the defendants had angered many, and would later be overruled by a higher court.

4. Having empty hands.
   • 2011, Leaveil Dabney, Eternal Earth: Secrets Untold, ISBN 1465364277, page 198:

     The spirits entered the tunnel carrying treasures, but exited freehanded.

5. (finance) Transferable to other assets.
   • 1935, The Wage-earner's Life Insurance - Volume 11, page 294:

     The borrower, they feel, should be free to put the proceeds of sale or collection into new goods, provided they, and accounts representing the sale of them, shall in turn be subject to the lien that secures the loan. That is a freehanded mortgage, and with respect to it various views are entertained.

   • 1945, Duke University School of Law, Financing small business, page 295:

     The various ideas so far discussed turn on the question, not whether the agreement is preferential, but whether it is a fraud upon creditors, or (as the Supreme Court held in the case of a freehanded mortgage of accounts) whether it is really a mortgage at all.

Adverb

freehanded ‎(comparative more freehanded, superlative most freehanded)

1. Generously.
   • 2000, Sarah Orne Jewett, The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories, ISBN 0679641599:

     ...they waved aside the tumblers of wine the young officer was pourin' out for 'em so freehanded, and said they should rather be excused.

2. Unassisted.
   • 2010, Jack Solitario, One Avenue of Approach, ISBN 1450052711, page 99:

     Herrera and I were handicapped in the sense that we couldn't use the sight on our M-79s...We had to aim freehanded

3. In an unconstrained manner.
   • 2007, Professor Alan Kramer, Dynamic of Destruction: Culture and Mass Killing in the First World War., ISBN 0191580112:

     I am ordered over there with a few others. We all shoot standing and freehanded...This regained freedom of action makes us unable to feel the danger we are in.

Verb

freehanded

1. simple past tense and past participle of freehand
   • 2008, David Sabol & ‎Kam Ghaffari, Wood Carving Basics, ISBN 1561588881, page 117:

     I traced around the cap of a pen to get some of the inner curvature I was looking for, and even freehanded a few of the transitions.