freebase

1 of 2

verb

free·base ˈfrē-ˌbās

freebased; freebasing; freebases

intransitive verb

: to prepare or use freebase cocaine

transitive verb

: to prepare or use (cocaine) as freebase

freebaser noun

freebase

2 of 2

: a purified solid form of cocaine (such as crack) that is obtained by treating the powdered hydrochloride of cocaine with an alkaloid base (such as sodium bicarbonate) and that can be smoked or heated to produce vapors for inhalation

specifically : a form derived from treatment of the hydrochloride of cocaine with ammonia or similar alkaloid solution followed by extraction with a solvent (such as ether)

Examples of freebase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Verb

Those intimate shots are interspersed with clips of a dog’s shadow, what appears to be drugs freebasing in a spoon over a flame, a woman in the shovel of a bulldozer, and vintage landscapes and catastrophes. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025

The movie begins with Jo Jo, a famous stand-up, in a hospital bed, wrapped in gauze, near death, unrecognizable after setting himself on fire while freebasing cocaine. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025 Those freebasing sequences, of which there are several, involve a hunky high school student, Jack (Jasper Jones), who gets hooked on fentanyl thanks to his girlfriend, Colby (Kaylee Curry). —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024 She ping-ponged from freebasing cocaine to tripping on the stronger drug of evangelical religion. —Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023 If that’s the case, the Roy children have been freebasing those toxins their entire lives. —Vulture, 10 Apr. 2023 Despite his fears, David continued to freebase on his ’84 solo tour. —Edward Kiersh, SPIN, 11 Feb. 2023 Jack tells Spencer that Paul and Pat want to trade him for big man Bob McAdoo, triggering Spencer’s own paranoia and leading him to freebase cocaine. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2022 The maladjusted lothario also has many a dalliance with a particular strain of misogyny: the cutting and manipulative digs at past lovers that some of the rapper’s fans rush to freebase. —Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 6 July 2018

Noun

But in its freebase form, cocaine can also be smoked thanks to a lower boiling point. —Troy Farah, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2022 During recesses in the trial, Nash would go out to his car and smoke freebase. —Mike Sager, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2021 For much of the next 15 years, Crosby anesthetized himself with heroin and freebase cocaine, doing significant harm to both his musical relationships and his relationship to music. —Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, 24 July 2019 Big Tobacco discovered decades ago that freebase nicotine makes puffing on a cigar much harsher than inhaling cigarette smoke. —Rachel Becker, The Verge, 21 Nov. 2018 Juul uses nicotine salts, which are more potent than the freebase nicotine in standard e-cigarettes. —The Economist, 24 May 2018 In Juul, these nicotine salts are absorbed into the body at almost the same speed as nicotine in regular cigarettes, a speed that comes from the use of freebase nicotine. —Julia Belluz, Vox, 18 May 2018

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1980, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of freebase was in 1979

See more words from the same year

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Free Baptist

freebase

free beach

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Freebase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freebase. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

freebase

1 of 2 verb

free·base ˈfrē-ˌbās

: to prepare or use cocaine as freebase

freebase

2 of 2 noun

: solid cocaine without impurities that can be heated to produce vapors for inhalation or smoked as crack

Medical Definition

freebase

1 of 2 verb

free·base ˈfrē-ˌbās

freebased; freebasing

intransitive verb

: to prepare or use freebase cocaine

transitive verb

: to prepare or use (cocaine) as freebase

freebaser

-ər

noun

freebase

2 of 2 noun

: purified solid cocaine (as crack) in a form that is obtained by treating the powdered hydrochloride of cocaine with an alkaloid base (as sodium bicarbonate) and that can be smoked or heated to produce vapors for inhalation

specifically : cocaine derived from its hydrochloride by treatment with ammonia or a similar alkaloid solution followed by extraction with a solvent (as ether)

freebase

verb

noun

Examples of freebase in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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freebase

verb

noun

Examples of freebase in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for freebase

Browse Nearby Words

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Share

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Medical Definition

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