freebase

American  

[free-beys] / ˈfriˌbeɪs /

Or free-base

verb (used with object)

freebased, freebasing

1. to purify (cocaine) by dissolving in ether, sodium hydroxide, etc., and filtering off the precipitate.

2. to ingest (freebased cocaine).

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verb (used without object)

freebased, freebasing

1. to freebase cocaine.

noun

1. freebased cocaine.

freebase British  

/ ˈfriːˌbeɪs /

noun

1. slang cocaine that has been refined by heating it in ether or some other solvent

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verb

1. to refine (cocaine) in this way

2. to smoke or inhale the fumes from (refined cocaine)

Other Word Forms

• freebaser noun

Etymology

Origin of freebase

First recorded in 1975–80; free + base ¹

Example Sentences

By adding organic acids to liquid nicotine, San Francisco-based Juul was able to reduce the amount of “freebase nicotine” in the aerosol that users inhale.

From Reuters

Freebase nicotine, common in e-cigarette liquid prior to Juul’s arrival in 2015, is harsh and difficult to inhale at high concentrations.

From Reuters

Peyton and fellow researchers James Pankow and Anna Duell measured the amounts of nicotine in Juul and how much of that nicotine was in the harsher freebase form of the chemical.

From Reuters

But e-cigarettes at the time were using freebase nicotine, which is extracted from tobacco.

From New York Times

The problem with freebase nicotine liquid is that it has a high alkalinity, which makes it harsh for consumers.

From New York Times

Related Words

• coke
• crack
• dope
• poison
• stimulant