| free hand | |
| —n | |
| 1. | unrestricted freedom to act (esp in the phrase give (someone) a free hand) |
| —adj, —adv , freehand | |
| 2. | (done) by hand without the use of guiding instruments: a freehand drawing |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
free hand
Also, free rein. Freedom to do or decide as one sees fit. For example, The teacher gave her assistant a free hand with the class, or They gave me free rein to reorganize the department. The first expression dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.