'hands-free' originates from the combination of 'hand' and 'free', where 'hand' refers to the human hand and 'free' means not under the control or in the power of another.

'hands-free' evolved from the concept of freeing the hands from tasks, especially with the advent of technology that allows for voice-activated or remote control operations.

Initially, it meant 'freeing the hands from tasks', and over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'designed to be used without the use of hands'.