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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.


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



... Mount Hope I saw various higher hills extending from south-south-west to west-south-west at a distance of about 35 miles. They were not all quite connected, and I supposed them to be only the northern extremities of some higher ranges still more remote. I perceived along their base a line of lofty trees, but it was most apparent on the horizon to the westward of the heights. The intervening country consisted, as far as the glass enabled me to examine it, of open grassy plains, beautifully variegated with serpentine lines of wood. In all other directions the horizon was unbroken ...
— Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Vol 2 (of 2) • Thomas Mitchell
... turning every thing that had occurred to his dishonour. They reasoned from these misrepresentations, that he could not be an ambassador sent to maintain peace and amity, as he would not, in that case, have been guilty of these base hostilities, and would assuredly have brought the king a present worthy of the sovereign he ...
— A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. II • Robert Kerr
... Kilgore, and they easily found him. He lay stretched upon the ground, dead and scorched almost beyond recognition, at the base of the metallic rod through which he had ...
— With Links of Steel • Nicholas Carter
... Hexaem.] says: "Just as the lost are driven into the lowest darkness, so the reward for worthy deeds is laid up in the light beyond this world, where the just shall obtain the abode of rest." But they differ in the reasons on which they base their statement. Strabus and Bede teach that there is an empyrean heaven, because the firmament, which they take to mean the sidereal heaven, is said to have been made, not in the beginning, but on the second day: whereas the reason given by Basil is that otherwise ...
— Summa Theologica, Part I (Prima Pars) - From the Complete American Edition • Thomas Aquinas
... behind which the whole army might be securely thrown across the Rappahannock, by which at least two days' march would be gained on Lee, and our troops would be on the direct line for Fredericksburg, if Fredericksburg is really to be the base for future operations. In this way, the army would have marched against Fredericksburg on both sides of the river. Or, supposing those plans to be rejected, why not throw a whole army corps at once, say 40,000 to 50,000 strong, across the Rappahannock. On either ...
— Diary from November 12, 1862, to October 18, 1863 • Adam Gurowski


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