free costn.adj.adv.
/ˌfriː ˈkɒst/, U.S. /ˌfri ˈkɔst/, /ˌfri ˈkɑst/ Now rare (chiefly South Asian in later use).† B. adj.† C. adv.
A. n.
at (formerly also †for, †of, †on, †upon) free cost: without cost, free of charge, gratis.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > charges > freedom from charge > [adverb]
freelyc1330
(all) for nought1535
at (formerly also for, of, on, upon) free cost1542
for nothing1569
without price1611
freea1631
free cost1648
gratuitously1717
buckshee1918
1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca Captare coenam, to get a supper of fre cost.
a1576 L. Nowell Vocabularium Saxonicum (1952) 134/1 Orcype & Orcypunȝ, gratis; for nothing; on free cost.
1653 J. Rogers Sagrir 139 Then shall we be restored... At free-cost without charge.
1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. ii. 102 If he affirmeth it on free cost, we can confute it as cheap, by denying it.
1676 W. Wycherley Plain-dealer Ded. A man..had better pay for what he has at an inn than lie on free-cost at a gentleman's house.
1751 G. Lavington Enthusiasm Methodists & Papists: Pt. III 5 The Methodists asking her to live upon Free-Cost.
1764 ‘G. Psalmanazar’ Memoirs 134 Considering how well acquainted I was with the way of travelling at free-cost.
1800 W. Tatham Hist. & Pract. Ess. Tobacco 103 These seldom shame their keeper, as they range at large upon free cost.
1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. ii. 43 Unwilling to quit good liquor, when it was to be had for free cost.
1839 J. E. Heath Whigs & Democrats i. i. 8 These lazy louts of the neighborhood who come here to listen to the newspapers and swill your liquor at free cost.
1847 B. W. Mann Let. 21 June in Jrnl. Negro Hist. (1925) 10 168 So now I intend to ask My Master to let me go on free cost to said Liberia.
1891 Amer. Jrnl. Psychol. 4 33 He gave from memory an account of all the ale or strong beer that he had on free cost since he was 12 years of age.
1945 Far Eastern Surv. 14 276/2 The termination of the agreement..at which time the railway and all of its property will revert to the Chinese government at free cost.
2007 Financial Express (India) (Nexis) 21 May The power ministry..is yet to resolve the difference with the Chhattisgarh government with respect to the allocation of certain power at free cost from the proposed UMPP [= ultra mega power project].
Free, gratuitous. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > charges > freedom from charge > [adjective]
shot-freelOE
freea1225
costless1509
scot-free1542
free cost1586
chargeless1599
cost-free1602
gratuitous1656
gratis1659
pro deo1856
comp1875
tariffless1891
uncharged1894
buckshee1915
freebie1937
mahala1977
value-added1982
1586 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 144 Such parasites, and scrap-gatherers at free-cost feasts [Fr. repeuës franches].
1604 T. Winter tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Third Dayes Creation 10 Free-cost baths do there abounden most.
1687 P. Madan Philos. Ess. Waters of Tunbridge 4 A common heal, A free-cost-Health.
1729 E. Ward Durgen 50 To humbly seek A free-cost Dinner twice or thrice a Week.
= at free cost at sense A. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > charges > freedom from charge > [adverb]
freelyc1330
(all) for nought1535
at (formerly also for, of, on, upon) free cost1542
for nothing1569
without price1611
freea1631
free cost1648
gratuitously1717
buckshee1918
1648 R. Herrick Hesperides sig. O7 Nothing comes Free-cost here.
1684 J. Harington tr. Horace Odes & Epodon 94 I'l not my Liquor wast, Nor drench thee in my Cups free-cost.
1720 J. Ozell et al. tr. R. A. de Vertot Hist. Revol. Rom. Republic II. ix. 67 That the People might..see the Sports Free-cost.
a1772 J. Woolman Jrnl. & Ess. (1971) i. ii. 38 I eat, drank, and lodged free-cost with people, who lived in ease on the hard labour of their slaves.
1837 Dublin Univ. Mag. Jan. 45 No scores for this flagon! you have it free cost.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.adv.1542