bedrock

American  

[bed-rok] / ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. Geology. unbroken solid rock, overlaid in most places by soil or rock fragments.

2. bottom layer; lowest stratum.

3. any firm foundation or basis.

   Technical courses will be founded on a bedrock of sound, general education so as to produce a well-rounded engineer.

4. the fundamental principles, as of a teaching, belief, or science.

   Let's strip away the cant and get down to bedrock.

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adjective

1. basic; fundamental.

bedrock British  

/ ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. the solid unweathered rock that lies beneath the loose surface deposits of soil, alluvium, etc

2. basic principles or facts (esp in the phrase get down to bedrock )

3. the lowest point, level, or layer

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bedrock Scientific  

/ bĕd′rŏk′ /

1. The solid rock that lies beneath the soil and other loose material on the Earth's surface.

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Etymology

Origin of bedrock

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; bed + rock ¹

Example Sentences

The vault is structured like “an onion layer,” moored to bedrock and closely guarded, according to company Chief Executive Josh Phair.

From The Wall Street Journal

Researchers believe the shapes formed when groundwater moved through fractures in the bedrock, depositing minerals along those cracks.

From Science Daily

Every piece of Iranian diaspora culture was built on the bedrock of the regime’s permanence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chalk streams emerge from springs in porous chalk bedrock, which acts as a filter to remove sediment, characterised by beautifully clear water and a gravelly bottom.

From BBC

But analysts and investors warn that over time, war can suppress economic growth while spurring inflation, a combination that leads to prolonged declines in both stocks and bonds, bedrock investments for millions of American savers.

From The Wall Street Journal