diff --git a/src/hb-array.hh b/src/hb-array.hh
index 9af98b103..171646fff 100644
--- a/src/hb-array.hh
+++ b/src/hb-array.hh
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ struct hb_array_t : hb_iter_with_fallback_t<hb_array_t<Type>, Type&>
   }
 
   /* Only call if you allocated the underlying array using malloc() or similar. */
-  void free ()
-  { ::free ((void *) arrayZ); arrayZ = nullptr; length = 0; }
+  void fini ()
+  { free ((void *) arrayZ); arrayZ = nullptr; length = 0; }
 
   template <typename hb_serialize_context_t>
   hb_array_t copy (hb_serialize_context_t *c) const
diff --git a/src/hb-cache.hh b/src/hb-cache.hh
index bf26d96be..e617b75de 100644
--- a/src/hb-cache.hh
+++ b/src/hb-cache.hh
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 #include "hb.hh"
 
 
-/* Implements a lock-free cache for int->int functions. */
+/* Implements a lockfree cache for int->int functions. */
 
 template <unsigned int key_bits, unsigned int value_bits, unsigned int cache_bits>
 struct hb_cache_t
diff --git a/src/hb-common.cc b/src/hb-common.cc
index 7bb878b21..ebc7e426f 100644
--- a/src/hb-common.cc
+++ b/src/hb-common.cc
@@ -257,11 +257,9 @@ struct hb_language_item_t {
   bool operator == (const char *s) const
   { return lang_equal (lang, s); }
 
-  hb_language_item_t & operator = (const char *s) {
-    /* If a custom allocated is used calling strdup() pairs
-    badly with a call to the custom free() in fini() below.
-    Therefore don't call strdup(), implement its behavior.
-    */
+  hb_language_item_t & operator = (const char *s)
+  {
+    /* We can't call strdup(), because we allow custom allocators. */
     size_t len = strlen(s) + 1;
     lang = (hb_language_t) malloc(len);
     if (likely (lang))
@@ -278,7 +276,7 @@ struct hb_language_item_t {
 };
 
 
-/* Thread-safe lock-free language list */
+/* Thread-safe lockfree language list */
 
 static hb_atomic_ptr_t <hb_language_item_t> langs;
 
diff --git a/src/hb-iter.hh b/src/hb-iter.hh
index f7018150e..b8c447263 100644
--- a/src/hb-iter.hh
+++ b/src/hb-iter.hh
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
  * TODO Document more.
  *
  * If iterator implementation implements operator!=, then can be
- * used in range-based for loop.  That comes free if the iterator
+ * used in range-based for loop.  That already happens if the iterator
  * is random-access.  Otherwise, the range-based for loop incurs
  * one traversal to find end(), which can be avoided if written
  * as a while-style for loop, or if iterator implements a faster
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-face-table-list.hh b/src/hb-ot-face-table-list.hh
index 367e143fd..ffbbb1bc5 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-face-table-list.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-face-table-list.hh
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 /* This lists font tables that the hb_face_t will contain and lazily
  * load.  Don't add a table unless it's used though.  This is not
- * exactly free. */
+ * exactly zero-cost. */
 
 /* v--- Add new tables in the right place here. */
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-glyf-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-glyf-table.hh
index 7851982f7..27f69ecbc 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-glyf-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-glyf-table.hh
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ struct glyf
     {
       if (gid >= num_glyphs) return false;
 
-      /* Making this alloc free is not that easy
+      /* Making this allocfree is not that easy
 	 https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues/2095
 	 mostly because of gvar handling in VF fonts,
 	 perhaps a separate path for non-VF fonts can be considered */
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
index e983754db..0c0b6b4be 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
@@ -1880,7 +1880,7 @@ struct CursivePosFormat1
     else
       pos[child].x_offset = x_offset;
 
-    /* If parent was attached to child, break them free.
+    /* If parent was attached to child, separate them.
      * https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues/2469
      */
     if (unlikely (pos[parent].attach_chain() == -pos[child].attach_chain()))
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
index bc80586ab..4653420e2 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
@@ -1388,7 +1388,8 @@ hb_ot_layout_has_substitution (hb_face_t *face)
  * @lookup_index: The index of the lookup to query
  * @glyphs: The sequence of glyphs to query for substitution
  * @glyphs_length: The length of the glyph sequence
- * @zero_context: #hb_bool_t indicating whether substitutions should be context-free
+ * @zero_context: #hb_bool_t indicating whether pre-/post-context are disallowed
+ * in substitutions
  *
  * Tests whether a specified lookup in the specified face would
  * trigger a substitution on the given glyph sequence.
diff --git a/src/hb-pool.hh b/src/hb-pool.hh
index dcf0faf2a..251dafcec 100644
--- a/src/hb-pool.hh
+++ b/src/hb-pool.hh
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ struct hb_pool_t
   {
     next = nullptr;
 
-    for (chunk_t *_ : chunks) ::free (_);
+    for (chunk_t *_ : chunks) free (_);
 
     chunks.fini ();
   }
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ struct hb_pool_t
     return obj;
   }
 
-  void free (T* obj)
+  void release (T* obj)
   {
     * (T**) obj = next;
     next = obj;
diff --git a/src/hb-serialize.hh b/src/hb-serialize.hh
index f7325152b..42eae64f3 100644
--- a/src/hb-serialize.hh
+++ b/src/hb-serialize.hh
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ struct hb_serialize_context_t
     current = current->next;
     revert (obj->head, obj->tail);
     obj->fini ();
-    object_pool.free (obj);
+    object_pool.release (obj);
   }
 
   /* Set share to false when an object is unlikely sharable with others
diff --git a/src/hb-set.hh b/src/hb-set.hh
index ec247d8cc..4356a81c4 100644
--- a/src/hb-set.hh
+++ b/src/hb-set.hh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
  * hb_set_t
  */
 
-/* TODO Keep a free-list so we can free pages that are completely zeroed.  At that
+/* TODO Keep a freelist so we can release pages that are completely zeroed.  At that
  * point maybe also use a sentinel value for "all-1" pages? */
 
 struct hb_set_t
diff --git a/src/hb-shape-plan.cc b/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
index 0d9eaddaa..56f3a2f75 100644
--- a/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
+++ b/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ hb_shape_plan_create2 (hb_face_t                     *face,
 #ifndef HB_NO_OT_SHAPE
 bail3:
 #endif
-  shape_plan->key.free ();
+  shape_plan->key.fini ();
 bail2:
   free (shape_plan);
 bail:
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ hb_shape_plan_destroy (hb_shape_plan_t *shape_plan)
 #ifndef HB_NO_OT_SHAPE
   shape_plan->ot.fini ();
 #endif
-  shape_plan->key.free ();
+  shape_plan->key.fini ();
   free (shape_plan);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/hb-shape-plan.hh b/src/hb-shape-plan.hh
index 6da7edb2f..e4779bef8 100644
--- a/src/hb-shape-plan.hh
+++ b/src/hb-shape-plan.hh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct hb_shape_plan_key_t
 			 unsigned int                   num_coords,
 			 const char * const            *shaper_list);
 
-  HB_INTERNAL void free () { ::free ((void *) user_features); }
+  HB_INTERNAL void fini () { free ((void *) user_features); }
 
   HB_INTERNAL bool user_features_match (const hb_shape_plan_key_t *other);
 
diff --git a/src/test-repacker.cc b/src/test-repacker.cc
index a8cc6395f..6f46b0428 100644
--- a/src/test-repacker.cc
+++ b/src/test-repacker.cc
@@ -377,8 +377,8 @@ test_serialize ()
 
   assert (actual == expected);
 
-  actual.free ();
-  expected.free ();
+  actual.fini ();
+  expected.fini ();
   free (buffer_1);
   free (buffer_2);
 }
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ static void test_resolve_overflows_via_sort ()
   hb_bytes_t result = out.copy_bytes ();
   assert (result.length == (80000 + 3 + 3 * 2));
 
-  result.free ();
+  result.fini ();
   free (buffer);
   free (out_buffer);
 }
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ static void test_resolve_overflows_via_duplication ()
   hb_bytes_t result = out.copy_bytes ();
   assert (result.length == (10000 + 2 * 2 + 60000 + 2 + 3 * 2));
 
-  result.free ();
+  result.fini ();
   free (buffer);
   free (out_buffer);
 }