barehanded

[ bair-han-did ]

adjective

1. with hands uncovered:

   He caught the baseball barehanded.

2. without tools, weapons, or other means:

   foolishly coming barehanded to the besieged city.

barehanded

/ ˌbɛəˈhændɪd /

adverb

1. without weapons, tools, etc
2. with hands uncovered

Word History and Origins

Origin of barehanded¹

First recorded in 1400–50, barehanded is from the late Middle English word bare-handyd. See bare ¹, handed

Example Sentences

Chapman charged, barehanded the ball on a do-or-die play and fired off balance across the diamond to first, where LaMonte Wade Jr. made a difficult pick of an in-between hop for the final out.

From Seattle Times

Mr. Moore flattened his empty, barehanded, and high-fived the others.

From New York Times

The two-time Gold Glove winner has been stellar at first base in the playoffs, including a barehanded grab after a hard-hit ball by Heim hit first base in Game 2.

From Seattle Times

The ball was caught barehanded by a man in the second row.

From Seattle Times

The pair spent two summers practicing to get the feat down right, including using a baseball glove to help Mr. Heinig learn to catch the ball barehanded eventually.

From Washington Times