freebased; freebasing; freebases
: to prepare or use freebase cocaine
: to prepare or use (cocaine) as freebase
freebaser
noun
: 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
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
She was taught to freebase cocaine in the late 1980s by her brother Michael.
—Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2017
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
Verb
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
She was taught to freebase cocaine in the late 1980s by her brother Michael.
—Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2017
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freebase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near freebase
Cite this Entry
“Freebase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freebase. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
: to prepare or use freebase cocaine
: to prepare or use (cocaine) as freebase
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)
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