handsfree

or hands-free

[ handz-free ]

/ ˈhændzˌfri /

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adjective

not requiring the use of the hands: handsfree telephone dialing by voice commands.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Also hand·free, hand-free

[hand-free] /ˈhændˌfri/ .

Origin of handsfree

hand + -s³ + -free

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use handsfree in a sentence

Going hands-free is just one of the perks of a place where the only form of transportation is by carriage, bike, or tractor.
The Crazy Medieval Island of Sark|Liza Foreman|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was placed in handcuffs, but she was able slip one of her hands free.
In Months Before Wild Capitol Scene, Miriam Carey Battled Psychosis|Michael Daly|October 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
What do a smiley-face shaped sponge, a toilet training device for cats, and a hands-free umbrella have in common?
‘Shark Tank’: Robert Herjavec talks Money, Mark Cuban & Racing Cars|Anna Klassen|October 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The usual giveaway: they carry their shoulder bags with the straps across the body, leaving both hands free.
Roma Immigrants Have Set France on Edge|Christopher Dickey, Alice Guilhamon|October 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Well, normal minus the fact that the child is inexplicably standing on a chair and nursing hands-free.
The Bogus Breastfeeding Debate Over Nursing Older Kids|Diane Wiessinger|May 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Having done this he went to the river and washed his hands free of the blood and grease.
The Beach of Dreams|H. De Vere Stacpoole
Friedrich's calculation is, Prince Henri will have his hands free for a good few weeks yet.
History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. XVIII. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle
But, until a truce or peace with Poland should set his hands free, a new and dangerous war was not to be thought of.
The Thirty Years War, Complete|Friedrich Schiller
He crossed his legs, sticking the cherry bag between his knees, to leave both hands free.
In a German Pension|Katherine Mansfield
She plucked her hands free, and ran from him without another word, glad for once of the sanctuary of a husband's door.
Doom Castle|Neil Munro

British Dictionary definitions for handsfree

hands-free

/ (ˈhændzˌfriː) /

adjective

denoting an electronic device, esp a mobile phone, which can be operated without using one's hands

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012