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base
1[ beys ]
noun
- the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests:
a metal base for the table.
- a fundamental principle or groundwork; foundation; basis:
the base of needed reforms.
- the bottom layer or coating, as of makeup or paint.
- Architecture.
- the distinctively treated portion of a column or pier below the shaft or shafts.
- the distinctively treated lowermost portion of any construction, as a monument, exterior wall, etc.
- Botany, Zoology.
- the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment.
- the point of attachment.
- the principal element or ingredient of anything, considered as its fundamental part:
face cream with a lanolin base;
paint with a lead base.
- that from which a commencement, as of action or reckoning, is made; a starting point or point of departure.
- the main supporters or fans of a political candidate, celebrity, company, etc.:
Her proposed policies are calculated to appeal to her base.
- Baseball.
- any of the four corners of the diamond, especially first, second, or third base. Compare home plate.
- a square canvas sack containing sawdust or some other light material, for marking first, second, or third base.
- a starting line or point for runners, racing cars, etc.
- (in hockey and other games) the goal.
- Military.
- a fortified or more or less protected area or place from which the operations of an army or an air force proceed.
- a supply installation for a large military force.
- Geometry. the line or surface forming the part of a figure that is most nearly horizontal or on which it is supposed to stand.
- Mathematics.
- the number that serves as a starting point for a logarithmic or other numerical system.
- a collection of subsets of a topological space having the property that every open set in the given topology can be written as the union of sets of the collection.
- a collection of neighborhoods of a point such that every neighborhood of the point contains one from the collection.
- a collection of sets of a given filter such that every set in the filter is contained in some set in the collection.
- Also called base line. Surveying. triangulation1
- Painting.
- Also called carrier. inert matter, used in the preparation of lakes, onto which a coloring compound is precipitated.
- Photography. a thin, flexible layer of cellulose triacetate or similar material that holds the light-sensitive film emulsion and other coatings, especially on motion-picture film.
- Chemistry.
- a compound that reacts with an acid to form a salt, as ammonia, calcium hydroxide, or certain nitrogen-containing organic compounds.
- the hydroxide of a metal or of an electropositive element or group.
- a group or molecule that takes up or accepts protons.
- a molecule or ion containing an atom with a free pair of electrons that can be donated to an acid; an electron-pair donor.
- any of the purine and pyrimidine compounds found in nucleic acids: the purines adenine and guanine and the pyrimidines cytosine, thymine, and uracil.
- Grammar. the part of a complex word, consisting of one or more morphemes, to which derivational or inflectional affixes may be added, as want in unwanted or biolog- in biological. Compare root 1( def 12 ), stem 1( def 16 ).
- Linguistics. the component of a generative grammar containing the lexicon and phrase-structure rules that generate the deep structure of sentences.
- Electronics.
- an electrode or terminal on a transistor other than the emitter or collector electrodes or terminals.
- the part of an incandescent lamp or electron tube that includes the terminals for making electrical connection to a circuit or power supply.
- Stock Exchange. the level at which a security ceases a decline in price.
- Heraldry. the lower part of an escutcheon.
- bases, Armor. a tonlet formed of two shaped steel plates assembled side by side.
- Jewelry. pavilion ( def 6 ).
- in base, Heraldry. in the lower part of an escutcheon.
adjective
- serving as or forming a base:
The walls will need a base coat and two finishing coats.
verb (used with object)
- to make or form a base or foundation for.
- to establish, as a fact or conclusion (usually followed by on or upon ):
He based his assumption of her guilt on the fact that she had no alibi.
- to place or establish on a base or basis; ground; found (usually followed by on or upon ):
Our plan is based on a rising economy.
- to station, place, or situate (usually followed by at or on ):
He is based at Fort Benning. The squadron is based on a carrier.
verb (used without object)
- to have a basis; be based (usually followed by on or upon ):
Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.
- to have or maintain a base:
I believe they had based on Greenland at one time.
base
2[ beys ]
adjective
Synonyms: contemptible, despicable
- of little or no value; worthless:
hastily composed of base materials.
- debased or counterfeit:
an attempt to eliminate the base coinage.
- characteristic of or befitting an inferior person or thing.
- of illegitimate birth.
- not classical or refined:
base language.
- Old English Law. held by tenure less than freehold in return for a service viewed as somewhat demeaning to the tenant.
- Archaic.
- of humble origin or station.
- of small height.
- low in place, position, or degree:
base servitude.
- Obsolete. deep or grave in sound; bass:
the base tones of a piano.
noun
- Music Obsolete. bass 1( defs 3, 4 ).
base
1/ beɪs /
adjective
- devoid of honour or morality; ignoble; contemptible
- of inferior quality or value
- debased; alloyed; counterfeit
base currency
- English history
- (of land tenure) held by villein or other ignoble service
- holding land by villein or other ignoble service
- archaic.born of humble parents; plebeian
- archaic.illegitimate
adjective
- music an obsolete spelling of bass 1
base
2/ beɪs /
noun
- the bottom or supporting part of anything
- the fundamental or underlying principle or part, as of an idea, system, or organization; basis
- a centre of operations, organization, or supply
the climbers made a base at 8000 feet
- ( as modifier )
base camp
- a centre from which military activities are coordinated
- anything from which a process, as of measurement, action, or thought, is or may be begun; starting point
the new discovery became the base for further research
- the main ingredient of a mixture
to use rice as a base in cookery
- a chemical compound that combines with an acid to form a salt and water. A solution of a base in water turns litmus paper blue, produces hydroxyl ions, and has a pH greater than 7. Bases are metal oxides or hydroxides or amines See also Lewis base
- biochem any of the nitrogen-containing constituents of nucleic acids: adenine, thymine (in DNA), uracil (in RNA), guanine, or cytosine
- a medium such as oil or water in which the pigment is dispersed in paints, inks, etc; vehicle
- the inorganic material on which the dye is absorbed in lake pigments; carrier
- biology
- the part of an organ nearest to its point of attachment
- the point of attachment of an organ or part
- the bottommost layer or part of anything
- architect
- the lowest division of a building or structure
- the lower part of a column or pier
- another word for baseline
- the lower side or face of a geometric construction
- maths
- the number of distinct single-digit numbers in a counting system, and so the number represented as 10 in a place-value system See place-value
the binary system has two digits, 0 and 1, and 10 to base two represents 2
- (of a logarithm or exponential) the number whose powers are expressed
since 1000 = 10³, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3
- (of a mathematical structure) a substructure from which the given system can be generated
- the initial instance from which a generalization is proven by mathematical induction
- Also calledbase clause logic maths the initial element of a recursive definition, that defines the first element of the infinite sequence generated thereby
- linguistics
- a root or stem
- See base component
- electronics the region in a transistor between the emitter and collector
- photog the glass, paper, or cellulose-ester film that supports the sensitized emulsion with which it is coated
- heraldry the lower part of the shield
- jewellery the quality factor used in pricing natural pearls
- a starting or finishing point in any of various games
- baseball any of the four corners of the diamond, which runners have to reach in order to score
- the main source of a certain commodity or element
their fan base
a customer base
- get to first base informal.to accomplish the first stage in a project or a series of objectives
- off base informal.wrong or badly mistaken
- touch baseto make contact
verb
- tr foll by on or upon to use as a basis (for); found (on)
your criticisms are based on ignorance
- often foll byat or in to station, post, or place (a person or oneself)
base
/ bās /
- Chemistry.
- Any of a class of compounds that form hydroxyl ions (OH) when dissolved in water, and whose aqueous solutions react with acids to form salts. Bases turn red litmus paper blue and have a pH greater than 7. Their aqueous solutions have a bitter taste.
- See nitrogen base
- Mathematics.
- The side or face of a geometric figure to which an altitude is or is thought to be drawn. The base can be, but is not always, the bottom part of the figure.
- The number that is raised to various powers to generate the principal counting units of a number system. The base of the decimal system, for example, is 10.
- The number that is raised to a particular power in a given mathematical expression. In the expression a n, a is the base.
base
- Any of a number of bitter-tasting, caustic materials. Technically, a material that produces negative ions in solution . A base is the opposite of an acid and has a pH of 7 to 14. A given amount of a base added to the same amount of an acid neutralizes the acid; water and a salt are produced. Alkalis are bases; ammonia is a common base.
Derived Forms
- ˈbasely, adverb
- ˈbaseness, noun
Other Words From
- base·ly adverb
- base·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of base1
Origin of base2
Word History and Origins
Origin of base1
Origin of base2
Idioms and Phrases
- off base,
- Baseball. not touching a base:
The pitcher caught him off base and, after a quick throw, he was put out by the second baseman.
- Informal. badly mistaken:
The police were way off base when they tried to accuse her of the theft.
- on base, Baseball. having reached a base or bases:
Two men are on base.
- get to first base. first base ( def 2 ).
- touch base. touch base ( def ).
More idioms and phrases containing base
see get to first base ; off base ; touch base .Synonym Study
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Related Words
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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