Base (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

noun
  1. the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.
  2. a fundamental principle or groundwork; foundation; basis: the base of needed reforms.
  3. the bottom layer or coating, as of makeup or paint.
  4. 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.
  5. Botany, Zoology.
    • the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment.
    • the point of attachment.
  6. the principal element or ingredient of anything, considered as its fundamental part: face cream with a lanolin base;paint with a lead base.
  7. that from which a commencement, as of action or reckoning, is made; a starting point or point of departure.
  8. the main supporters or fans of a political candidate, celebrity, company, etc.: Her proposed policies are calculated to appeal to her base.
  9. Baseball.
    • any of the four corners of the diamond, especially first, second, or third base.
    • a square canvas sack containing sawdust or some other light material, for marking first, second, or third base.
  10. a starting line or point for runners, racing cars, etc.
  11. (in hockey and other games) the goal.
  12. 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.
  13. the line or surface forming the part of a figure that is most nearly horizontal or on which it is supposed to stand.
  14. 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.
  15. See under triangulation (def. 1).
  16. Painting.
    • vehicle (def. 10).
    • inert matter, used in the preparation of lakes, onto which a coloring compound is precipitated.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. the component of a generative grammar containing the lexicon and phrase-structure rules that generate the deep structure of sentences.
  21. 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.
  22. the level at which a security ceases a decline in price.
  23. the lower part of an escutcheon.
  24. a tonlet formed of two shaped steel plates assembled side by side.
  25. pavilion (def. 6).
  26. in the lower part of an escutcheon.
adjective
  1. serving as or forming a base: The walls will need a base coat and two finishing coats.
verb (used with object), based, bas·ing.
  1. to make or form a base or foundation for.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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), based, bas·ing.
  1. to have a basis; be based (usually followed by on or upon): Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.
  2. to have or maintain a base: I believe they had based on Greenland at one time.
Idioms
  1. first base (def. 2).
  2. off base,
    • not touching a base: The pitcher caught him off base and, after a quick throw, he was put out by the second baseman.
    • badly mistaken: The police were way off base when they tried to accuse her of the theft.
  3. having reached a base or bases: Two men are on base.
  4. See entry at touch base.
adjective, bas·er, bas·est.
  1. morally low; without estimable personal qualities; dishonorable; meanspirited; selfish; cowardly.
  2. of little or no value; worthless: hastily composed of base materials.
  3. debased or counterfeit: an attempt to eliminate the base coinage.
  4. characteristic of or befitting an inferior person or thing.
  5. of illegitimate birth.
  6. not classical or refined: base language.
  7. held by tenure less than freehold in return for a service viewed as somewhat demeaning to the tenant.
  8. Archaic.
    • of humble origin or station.
    • of small height.
    • low in place, position, or degree: base servitude.
  9. deep or grave in sound; bass: the base tones of a piano.
noun
  1. bass1 (defs. 3, 4).
noun
  1. the bottom or supporting part of anything
  2. the fundamental or underlying principle or part, as of an idea, system, or organization; basis
    • a centre of operations, organization, or supply
    • (as modifier)
  3. a centre from which military activities are coordinated
  4. anything from which a process, as of measurement, action, or thought, is or may be begun; starting point
  5. the main ingredient of a mixture
  6. 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
  7. any of the nitrogen-containing constituents of nucleic acids: adenine, thymine (in DNA), uracil (in RNA), guanine, or cytosine
  8. a medium such as oil or water in which the pigment is dispersed in paints, inks, etc; vehicle
  9. the inorganic material on which the dye is absorbed in lake pigments; carrier
  10. biology
    • the part of an organ nearest to its point of attachment
    • the point of attachment of an organ or part
  11. the bottommost layer or part of anything
  12. architect
    • the lowest division of a building or structure
    • the lower part of a column or pier
  13. another word for baseline (def. 2)
  14. the lower side or face of a geometric construction
  15. maths
    • the number of distinct single-digit numbers in a counting system, and so the number represented as 10 in a place-value system
    • (of a logarithm or exponential) the number whose powers are expressed
    • (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
  16. the initial element of a recursive definition, that defines the first element of the infinite sequence generated thereby
  17. linguistics
  18. the region in a transistor between the emitter and collector
  19. the glass, paper, or cellulose-ester film that supports the sensitized emulsion with which it is coated
  20. the lower part of the shield
  21. the quality factor used in pricing natural pearls
  22. a starting or finishing point in any of various games
  23. any of the four corners of the diamond, which runners have to reach in order to score
  24. the main source of a certain commodity or element
  25. to accomplish the first stage in a project or a series of objectives
  26. wrong or badly mistaken
  27. to make contact
verb
  1. to use as a basis (for); found (on)
  2. to station, post, or place (a person or oneself)
adjective
  1. devoid of honour or morality; ignoble; contemptible
  2. of inferior quality or value
  3. debased; alloyed; counterfeit
  4. English history
    • (of land tenure) held by villein or other ignoble service
    • holding land by villein or other ignoble service
  5. born of humble parents; plebeian
  6. illegitimate
adjective, noun
  1. music an obsolete spelling of bass 1
    Base (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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