'BASE' definitions:

Definition of 'base'

(from WordNet)
adjective
Serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats" [syn: basal, base]
adjective
Of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth" [syn: base, baseborn, humble, lowly]
adjective
(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal; "base coins of aluminum"; "a base metal"
adjective
Not adhering to ethical or moral principles; "base and unpatriotic motives"; "a base, degrading way of life"; "cheating is dishonorable"; "they considered colonialism immoral"; "unethical practices in handling public funds" [syn: base, immoral]
adjective
Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality; "that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble"- Edmund Burke; "taking a mean advantage"; "chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"- Shakespeare; "something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics" [syn: base, mean, meanspirited]
adjective
Illegitimate [syn: base, baseborn]
adjective
Debased; not genuine; "an attempt to eliminate the base coinage"
noun
Installation from which a military force initiates operations; "the attack wiped out our forward bases" [syn: base, base of operations]
noun
Lowest support of a structure; "it was built on a base of solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower" [syn: foundation, base, fundament, foot, groundwork, substructure, understructure]
noun
A place that the runner must touch before scoring; "he scrambled to get back to the bag" [syn: base, bag]
noun
The bottom or lowest part; "the base of the mountain"
noun
(anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment; "the base of the skull"
noun
A lower limit; "the government established a wage floor" [syn: floor, base]
noun
The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture" [syn: basis, base, foundation, fundament, groundwork, cornerstone]
noun
A support or foundation; "the base of the lamp" [syn: base, pedestal, stand]
noun
A phosphoric ester of a nucleoside; the basic structural unit of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) [syn: nucleotide, base]
noun
Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water; "bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia" [syn: base, alkali]
noun
The bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed; "the base of the triangle"
noun
The most important or necessary part of something; "the basis of this drink is orange juice" [syn: basis, base]
noun
(numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place; "10 is the radix of the decimal system" [syn: base, radix]
noun
The place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end [syn: base, home]
noun
A terrorist network intensely opposed to the United States that dispenses money and logistical support and training to a wide variety of radical Islamic terrorist groups; has cells in more than 50 countries [syn: al-Qaeda, Qaeda, al-Qa'ida, al-Qaida, Base]
noun
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" [syn: root, root word, base, stem, theme, radical]
noun
The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; "the industrial base of Japan" [syn: infrastructure, base]
noun
The principal ingredient of a mixture; "glycerinated gelatin is used as a base for many ointments"; "he told the painter that he wanted a yellow base with just a hint of green"; "everything she cooked seemed to have rice as the base"
noun
A flat bottom on which something is intended to sit; "a tub should sit on its own base"
noun
(electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
verb
Use as a basis for; found on; "base a claim on some observation" [syn: establish, base, ground, found]
verb
Situate as a center of operations; "we will base this project in the new lab"
verb
Use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes [syn: free-base, base]

Definition of 'Base'

From: GCIDE
  • Base \Base\ (b[=a]s), a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. Bass a part in music.]
  • 1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. [Archaic] --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Low in place or position. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. [Archaic] "A peasant and base swain." --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. Illegitimate by birth; bastard. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]
  • Why bastard? wherefore base? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion. [1913 Webster]
  • 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." --Robynson (More's Utopia). "Base ingratitude." --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. Not classical or correct. "Base Latin." --Fuller. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. [In this sense, commonly written bass.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • Syn: Dishonorable; worthless; ignoble; low-minded; infamous; sordid; degraded.
  • Usage: 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Base'

From: GCIDE
  • Base \Base\, n. [F. base, L. basis, fr. Gr. ba`sis a stepping, step, a base, pedestal, fr. bai`nein to go, step, akin to E. come. Cf. Basis, and see Come.]
  • 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." --Prescott. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. (Bot.) That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. (Pharmacy) The chief ingredient in a compound. [1913 Webster]
  • 7. (Dyeing) A substance used as a mordant. --Ure. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. (Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. (Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand. [1913 Webster]
  • 10. (Math.) The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms. [1913 Webster]
  • 11. [See Base low.] 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 13. (Mil.) The smallest kind of cannon. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 14. (Zool.) That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ. [1913 Webster]
  • 15. (Crystallog.) The basal plane of a crystal. [1913 Webster]
  • 16. (Geol.) The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline. [1913 Webster]
  • 17. (Her.) The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon. [1913 Webster]
  • 18. The housing of a horse. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 20. The lower part of a robe or petticoat. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 21. An apron. [Obs.] "Bakers in their linen bases." --Marston. [1913 Webster]
  • 22. The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games. [1913 Webster]
  • To their appointed base they went. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. --Lyman. [1913 Webster]
  • 24. A rustic play; -- called also prisoner's base, {prison base}, or bars. "To run the country base." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 25. (Baseball) Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. --H. L. Scott. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Base'

From: GCIDE
  • Base \Base\ (b[=a]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Based (b[=a]sd); p. pr. & vb. n. Basing.] [From Base, n.] To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; -- used with on or upon. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Base'

From: GCIDE
  • Base \Base\, v. t. [See Base, a., and cf. Abase.]
  • 1. To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • If any . . . based his pike. --Sir T. North. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To reduce the value of; to debase. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • Metals which we can not base. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'base'

From: GCIDE
  • Bass \Bass\ (b[=a]s), n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. A bass, or deep, sound or tone. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part in a musical composition. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. [Written also base.] [1913 Webster]
  • Thorough bass. See Thorough bass. [1913 Webster]

Synonyms of 'base'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Acronyms for 'base'

From: V.E.R.A.
  • Basically Available, Soft state, Eventual consistency

Words containing 'BASE'