freebie, a. and n. U.S. colloq.
(ˈfriːbɪ)
Also freebee, freeby.
[Arbitrarily f. free a.]
A. adj. Free, without charge. B. n. Something that is provided free.
| 1942 Berrey & van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §551/17 Free..free gratis for nothing, freebee, freeby, [etc.]. 1946 Mezzrow & Wolfe Really Blues xiv. 256 It's the brakeman who throws freebie passengers off. Ibid. 373 Freebie, handout, something gratis. 1954 L. Armstrong Satchmo (1955) vi. 81 That meal was a freebie and didn't cost me anything. 1962 E. Lacy Freeloaders iv. 83 She'll write ‘free’ on the slip... They come in for the freebie and end up buying more copies. |