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Base   /beɪs/   Listen
noun
Base  n.  
1.
The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a statue. "The base of mighty mountains."
2.
Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork.
3.
(Arch.)
(a)
The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented.
(b)
The lower part of a complete architectural design, as of a monument; also, the lower part of any elaborate piece of furniture or decoration.
4.
(Bot.) That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support.
5.
(Chem.) The positive, or non-acid component of a salt; a substance which, combined with an acid, neutralizes the latter and forms a salt; applied also to the hydroxides of the positive elements or radicals, and to certain organic bodies resembling them in their property of forming salts with acids.
6.
(Pharmacy) The chief ingredient in a compound.
7.
(Dyeing) A substance used as a mordant.
8.
(Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions.
9.
(Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand.
10.
(Math.) The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms.
11.
A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.)
(a)
The lowest part; the deepest male voice.
(b)
One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base. (Now commonly written bass) "The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar."
12.
(Mil.) A place or tract of country, protected by fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the operations of an army proceed, forward movements are made, supplies are furnished, etc.
13.
(Mil.) The smallest kind of cannon. (Obs.)
14.
(Zool.) That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ.
15.
(Crystallog.) The basal plane of a crystal.
16.
(Geol.) The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline.
17.
(Her.) The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon.
18.
The housing of a horse. (Obs.)
19.
pl. A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mailed armor) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower. (Obs.)
20.
The lower part of a robe or petticoat. (Obs.)
21.
An apron. (Obs.) "Bakers in their linen bases."
22.
The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games. "To their appointed base they went."
23.
(Surv.) A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles.
24.
A rustic play; called also prisoner's base, prison base, or bars. "To run the country base."
25.
(Baseball) Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield.
Altern base. See under Altern.
Attic base. (Arch.) See under Attic.
Base course. (Arch.)
(a)
The first or lower course of a foundation wall, made of large stones or a mass of concrete; called also foundation course.
(b)
The architectural member forming the transition between the basement and the wall above.
Base hit (Baseball), a hit, by which the batsman, without any error on the part of his opponents, is able to reach the first base without being put out.
Base line.
(a)
A main line taken as a base, as in surveying or in military operations.
(b)
A line traced round a cannon at the rear of the vent.
Base plate, the foundation plate of heavy machinery, as of the steam engine; the bed plate.
Base ring (Ordnance), a projecting band of metal around the breech, connected with the body of the gun by a concave molding.


Bass  n.  
1.
A bass, or deep, sound or tone.
2.
(Mus.)
(a)
The lowest part in a musical composition.
(b)
One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. (Written also base)
Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.


verb
Base  v. t.  (past & past part. based; pres. part. basing)  To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; used with on or upon.


Base  v. t.  
1.
To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower. (Obs.) "If any... based his pike."
2.
To reduce the value of; to debase. (Obs.) "Metals which we can not base."


adjective
Base  adj.  
1.
Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. (Archaic)
2.
Low in place or position. (Obs.)
3.
Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. (Archaic) "A peasant and base swain."
4.
Illegitimate by birth; bastard. (Archaic) "Why bastard? wherefore base?"
5.
Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals.
6.
Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion.
7.
Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. "A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind." "Base ingratitude."
8.
Not classical or correct. "Base Latin."
9.
Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. (In this sense, commonly written bass)
10.
(Law) Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable; held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant.
Base fee, formerly, an estate held at the will of the lord; now, a qualified fee. See note under Fee, n., 4.
Base metal. See under Metal.
Synonyms: Dishonorable; worthless; ignoble; low-minded; infamous; sordid; degraded. Base, Vile, Mean. These words, as expressing moral qualities, are here arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest being placed first. Base marks a high degree of moral turpitude; vile and mean denote, in different degrees, the lack of what is valuable or worthy of esteem. What is base excites our abhorrence; what is vile provokes our disgust or indignation; what is mean awakens contempt. Base is opposed to high-minded; vile, to noble; mean, to liberal or generous. Ingratitude is base; sycophancy is vile; undue compliances are mean.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Base" Quotes from Famous Books



... Naples; the S. Peter and the S. Paul that are at the foot of the steps of S. Pietro in Rome, and the tomb of Pope Paul II in S. Pietro. The figure that Paolo made in competition with Mino was the S. Paul that is to be seen on a marble base at the head of the Ponte S. Angelo, which stood unnoticed for a long time in front of the Chapel of Sixtus IV. It afterwards came to pass that one day Pope Clement VII observed this figure, which pleased him greatly, for he was a man of knowledge and judgment in such matters; ...
— Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects - Vol. 3 (of 10), Filarete and Simone to Mantegna • Giorgio Vasari
... using agriculture only as a subsidiary branch of business. All the other societies have agriculture as their industrial base, and many of them manufacture but little, though all have some branch of manufacture. Also, it is the aim of all to produce and make, as far as possible, every thing they consume. To limit the expenditures and increase the ...
— The Communistic Societies of the United States • Charles Nordhoff
... regards) that he needn't "deal with" the American notices of the "Cricket." I never read one word of their abuse, and I should think it base to read their praises. It is something to know that one is righted so soon; and knowing that, I can afford to know ...
— The Letters of Charles Dickens - Vol. 1 (of 3), 1833-1856 • Charles Dickens
... scoured in every direction and all persons questioned, not only at the change-stations on the main roads, and at crossroads, but at all villages. Not a clue has been found; though all Turpio's friends more than suspect Vedius Molo, there is not an iota of evidence on which anyone could base a demand for a warrant to search Villa Vedia or any other specified villa, farmstead or other piece of property. Xantha has vanished. There are rumors that she is at Villa Vedia, but they seem as baseless as the rumor of a party of horsemen conveying a ...
— Andivius Hedulio • Edward Lucas White
... Immediately below, extending for many miles, including St. Denis and other villages, are fine plains; upon which plains about 3 in the morning the Russians deployed, and the Spectacle must have been interesting beyond measure.... On the heights and towards the base were assembled part of Marmont's[45] army with their field pieces and some few heavier guns; there, too, were stationed the greater part of the students of l'Ecole Polytechnique, corresponding to our Woolwich cadets. Nothing ...
— Before and after Waterloo - Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802;1814;1814) • Edward Stanley


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