on the loose

prepositional phrase3

1. •
   Not incarcerated or in captivity; not under control.
2. •
   (slang, no longer used) Out on a spree, or in search of adventure.

   • Sometimes he dispensed water to men who “looked as if they had been on the loose all night.” — 1851
3. •
   (slang, no longer used) Earning a living by prostitution.