basset

¹

[ bas-it ]

noun

1. one of a breed of hounds having short legs, long body and ears, and usually a black, tan, and white coat.

basset

²

[ bas-it ]

noun

1. an outcrop, as of the edges of strata.

verb (used without object)

, bas·set·ed, bas·set·ing.

1. to crop out.

basset

³

[ bas-it ]

noun

1. an 18th-century card game similar to faro.

basset

¹

/ ˈbæsɪt /

verb

1. a rare word for outcrop

basset

²

/ ˈbæsɪt /

noun

1. a long low smooth-haired breed of hound with short strong legs and long ears Also calledbasset hound

Word History and Origins

Origin of basset¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from French: noun use of adjective basset “of low stature, short,” equivalent to bass- “low” + -et diminutive suffix; base ², -et )

Origin of basset²

First recorded in 1680–90; probably from obsolete French basset “low stool,” noun use of adjective basset; basset ¹

Origin of basset³

First recorded in 1635–45; from French bassette, from Italian bassetta, noun use of feminine of bassetto “somewhat low”; so called because the game is played with low cards; basset ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of basset¹

C17: perhaps from French: low stool, see basset ¹

Origin of basset²

C17: from French, from basset short, from bas low; see base ²

Example Sentences

She has a new Burmese kitten, Dino, and a basset hound puppy, Poppy.

From Los Angeles Times

But a petit basset griffon Vendéen took best in show for the first time last year, as did a bloodhound in 2022.

From Seattle Times

They got together at a cafe in Istanbul — a dog cafe, to be precise, where they were greeted at the door by a resident basset hound.

From New York Times

They are doppelgangers, dead ringers with basset hound eyes a signature feature.

From Los Angeles Times

"Then when Freda died my father himself bought another basset hound, the second Freda, and that was how it all started."

From BBC

Related Words

• beagle