base

plural bases

1. countableuncountableSomething from which other things extend; a foundation.
   1. countableuncountableA supporting, lower or bottom component of a structure or object.

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      Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.

      1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 178

2. countableuncountableThe starting point of a logical deduction or thought; basis.
3. countableuncountableA site, structure, or both, usually durable and often permanent, for housing military personnel and materiel.
4. countableuncountableThe place where decisions for an organization are made; headquarters.

   Synonyms: seat

5. countableuncountablepainting; pharmacy; painting; pharmacycookingA basic but essential component or ingredient.
6. countableuncountableA substance used as a mordant in dyeing.
7. countableuncountablecosmeticsFoundation: a cosmetic cream to make the face appear uniform.
8. countableuncountablechemistryAny of a class of generally water-soluble compounds that turn red litmus blue and react with acids to form salts.
9. Important areas in games and sports.
   1. countableuncountableA safe zone in the children's games of tag and hide-and-go-seek.
   2. countableuncountableball gamesOne of the four places that a runner can stand without being subject to being tagged out when the ball is in play.
10. countableuncountablearchitectureThe lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.
11. countableuncountablebiochemistryA nucleotide's nucleobase in the context of a DNA or RNA biopolymer.
12. countableuncountablebiologyThe end of a leaf, petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.
13. countableuncountablebusinessThe name of the controlling terminal of a bipolar transistor (BJT).
14. countableuncountablegeometryThe lowest side of a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.
15. countableuncountablegovernmentThe lowest third of a shield (or field), or an ordinary occupying this space, the champagne. (Compare terrace.)

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    The shield was silver, charged with a red cross voided (that is, with the centre cut out and only the edges left), between in chief (that is, above the horizontal limb of the cross) two black dragon's wings, and in base two red daggers, and in the centre of the cross a black winged helmet; on a red chief (a broad band across the top of the shield), a silver pale (a broad vertical band), and thereon eight black arrows crossed X-wise, four and four, and encircled with a black band, between on the dexter three bendlets (narrow bands slanting from dexter chief to sinister base) enhanced (that is, raised above the centre), and on the sinister a fleur-de-lis, all of gold.

    1956 July, Col. H. C. B. Rogers, “Railway Heraldry”, in Railway Magazine, page 479

16. countableuncountablemathematicsA number raised to the power of an exponent.

    The logarithm to base 2 of 8 is 3.

17. countableuncountablemathematicsSynonym of radix.

    Synonyms: radix

18. countableuncountablemathematicsThe set of sets from which a topology is generated.
19. countableuncountablemathematicsA topological space, looked at in relation to one of its covering spaces, fibrations, or bundles.
20. countableuncountablegroup theoryA sequence of elements not jointly stabilized by any nontrivial group element.
21. countableuncountableacrobaticsIn hand-to-hand balance, the person who supports the flyer; the person that remains in contact with the ground.
22. countableuncountablehuman sciencesA morpheme (or morphemes) that serves as a basic foundation on which affixes can be attached.
23. countabledateduncountableentertainmentDated form of bass.

    The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar.

    1709, J[ohn] Dryden, J[ohn] Oldham, “(please specify the page)”, in Mac Flecknoe: A Poem. […] With Spencer’s Ghost: Being a Satyr Concerning Poetry. […], London: […] H[enry] Hills, […], →OCLC

24. countablehistoricaluncountablegovernmentThe smallest kind of cannon.
25. archaiccountableuncountableThe housing of a horse.
26. countablehistoricalin pluralsometimesuncountableA kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.

    […] with flowers of gold, the body lined with velvet, and the bases, or skirts, with satin; also a frock of black satin, lined with sarcenet, having three welts of the same.

    1842, Joseph Strutt, A Complete View of the Dress and Habits of the People of England, page 246

27. countablehistoricalin pluralsometimesuncountableA kind of armour skirt, of mail or plate, imitating the preceding civilian skirt.

    Both knee-length bases are made from black velvet [...] There was a second type of metal skirt that could be worn with armour: the tonlet. [...] Unlike the base, however, the tonlet did not have a textile counterpart. [...]

    2007, AHRC Research Centre for Textile Conservation and Textile Studies. Conference, Textiles and Text: Re-establishing the Links Between Archival and Object-based Research : Postprints, pages 47–49

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    The base (skirt), as opposed to the practical skirt of the tonlet armour, is an affectation in imitation of the civilian fabric garment of the period and may well have been inspired by a similar feature on Maximilian's gift armour.

    1977, Armours of Henry VIII

28. countableobsoleteuncountableThe lower part of a robe or petticoat.
29. countableobsoleteuncountableAn apron.

    bakers in their linen bases

    1613, John Marston, The Insatiate Countess

30. countableuncountableA 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.

    Use the globe he inhabits as a base wherewith to measure the magnitude and distance of the sun and planets.

    1834, Mary Somerville, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences

31. countableuncountablegovernmentA group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office.

    Synonyms: electoral base, political base

32. MarxismcountableuncountableThe forces and relations of production that produce the necessities and amenities of life.

    What, then, in the last resort is the determining influence of the base on the superstructure, and what is the 'relative independence' possessed by the various forms of superstructure according to Engels and most theoretical Marxists?

    1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 343

    Synonyms: substructure · Antonyms: superstructure

33. countableuncountableA material that holds paint or other materials together; a binder.
34. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableaeronauticsEllipsis of base leg.
35. slanguncountablefreebase cocaine

    TYLER LENNON (played by Louis Healy): Ten grand a week we were clearing: base, white, meth, weed, anything. I can get you anything to get you high.

    2019 January 20, Ann Cleeves, Paul Matthew Thompson, 1:26:51 from the start, in Lawrence Gough, director, Vera(Cuckoo) (9), episode 2 (TV series), spoken by Tyler Lennon (Louis Healy)

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    Shared you with my friends, the Pops they never had / You lived for our fishing trips, damn I had a dad / [...] / See, mine made sure he had every base covered / So imagine his pain finding base in the cupboard

    2025 July 11, “The Birds Don't Sing”, in Gene Thornton, Pharrel Williams, Stevie Wonder, Terrence Thornton (lyrics), Let God Sort Em Out, performed by Clipse, John Legend, and Voices of Fire, Roc Nation Distribution, via Spotify

present singular third person bases · participle present basing · participle past based · past based

1. transitiveTo give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.

   Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.

   1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii

   Synonyms: ground

2. transitiveTo be located (at a particular place).

   Troops have been based in Munich since the end of World War II.

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   Top management decided to base our new Spanish subsidiary in Arévalo (Ávila).

   Take a look at that. This is where we are going to be basing this season.

   2024 February 4, Grian, 23:40 from the start, in Hermitcraft 10: Episode 1 - THE START

3. acrobaticsTo act as a base; to be the person supporting the flyer.

   Apart from time taken out during radio- and chemotherapy, Maurs continued to participate in POW. She would base a flyer in a double balance and make the audience laugh with her clowning antics for two more shows.

   2005, John T. Warren, Laura B. Lengel, Casting Gender: Women and Performance in Intercultural Context, →ISBN, page 73

4. slangTo freebase.

   You know he started to base at a hell of a pace / And now it's a disgrace, he's got the pipe in his face

   1984, “8 Million Stories”, in Ego Trip, performed by Kurtis Blow ft. Run-DMC

comparative baser · comparative more base · superlative basest · superlative most base

1. obsoleteLow in height; short.

   The cedar stoops not to the base shrub's foot.

   1594, William Shakespeare, The Rape of Lucrece, line 664

   Synonyms: little, petite, short

2. Low in place or position.

   I see thy glory like a shooting star / Fall to the base earth from the firmament.

   c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, act 2, scene 4, lines 19–20

   Synonyms: low-lying, lowland

3. obsoleteOf low value or degree.

   If thou livest in paine and sorrow, thy base courage is the cause of it, To die there wanteth but will.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: contemptible, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, foolish, for the birds, futile, frivolous, idle, ignorable

4. archaicOf low social standing or rank; vulgar, common.

   a peasant and base swain

   1623, Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum

   2 more examples

   UUhat meanes the mightie Turkiſh Emperor To talke with one ſo baſe as Tamburlaine?

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii

   Wherefore should I / Stand in the plague of custome, and permit / The curiosity of Nations, to deprive me? For that I am some twelve, or fourteen Moonshines / Lag of a Brother? Why Bastard? Wherefore base? / When my Dimensions are as well compact, My minde as generous, and my shape as true / As honest madams issue? Why brand they us / With Base? With basenes Bastardie? Base, Base?

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 285, column 2

   Synonyms: common, low-born, lowly, plebeian, vulgar

5. Morally reprehensible, immoral; cowardly.

   base ingratitude

   Comus

   1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC

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   a cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind

   1551, Ralph Robynson, transl., More's Utopia

   “Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it.[…]”

   1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020

   Base emotions drive the horde

   2012, “The Diplomat”, performed by Pig Destroyer

   Synonyms: abject, filthy, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible

6. archaicInferior; unworthy, of poor quality.

   'Like this horrible film.' 'Horrible?' Lenina was genuinely astonished. 'But I thought it was lovely.' 'It was base,' he said indignantly, 'it was ignoble.'

   1932, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, London: Chatto & Windus

   Synonyms: low-quality

7. Not considered precious or noble.
8. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased.

   base coin

   1 more example

   base bullion

9. obsoleteOf illegitimate birth; bastard.

   Why bastard? Wherefore base?

   c. 1605–1606, William Shakespeare, King Lear, act 1, scene 2, line 6

   Synonyms: illegitimate, baseborn, base born, bastardly, extramarital, misbegotten, nameless, natural

10. Not classical or correct.

    base Latin

    1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI)

11. obsoleteObsolete form of bass.

    the base tone of a violin

12. lawRelating to feudal land tenure held by a tenant from a lord in exchange for services that are seen as unworthy for noblemen to perform, such as villeinage.

    A base estate is one held by services not honourable, or held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant is a base tenant.

1. UShistoricaluncountableThe game of prisoners' bars.First known use 15th c.

   to run the country base

   1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]

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   So ran they all, as they had bene at bace, / They being chased that did others chase.

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

1. alternativeAlternative form of BASE.

1. A surname transferred from the nickname.

alternative base · alternative B.A.S.E.

1. abbreviationacronymAcronym of building, antenna-tower, span, earth.

alternative base · alternative B.A.S.E.

1. abbreviationacronymAcronym of British Association for Screen Entertainment.