See also: Base, BASE, basé, and Báse

English edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English base, bas, baas, from Old French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis). Doublet of basis.

Noun edit

base (countable and uncountable, plural bases)

  1. Something from which other things extend; a foundation.
    1. A supporting, lower or bottom component of a structure or object.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 14, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
        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.
  2. The starting point of a logical deduction or thought; basis.
  3. A permanent structure for housing military personnel and material.
  4. The place where decisions for an organization are made; headquarters.
  5. (cooking, painting, pharmacy) A basic but essential component or ingredient.
  6. A substance used as a mordant in dyeing.[1]
  7. (cosmetics) Foundation: a cosmetic cream to make the face appear uniform.
  8. (chemistry) Any 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. A safe zone in the children's games of tag and hide-and-go-seek.
    2. (baseball) One of the four places that a runner can stand without being subject to being tagged out when the ball is in play.
  10. (architecture) The lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.
  11. (biology, biochemistry) A nucleotide's nucleobase in the context of a DNA or RNA biopolymer.
  12. (botany) The end of a leaf, petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.
  13. (electronics) The name of the controlling terminal of a bipolar transistor (BJT).
  14. (geometry) The lowest side of a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.
  15. (heraldry) The lowest third of a shield (or field), or an ordinary occupying this space, the champagne. (Compare terrace..)
  16. (mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.
    The logarithm to base 2 of 8 is 3.
  17. (mathematics) Synonym of radix.
  18. (topology) The set of sets from which a topology is generated.
  19. (topology) A topological space, looked at in relation to one of its covering spaces, fibrations, or bundles.
  20. (group theory) A sequence of elements not jointly stabilized by any nontrivial group element.
  21. (acrobatics, cheerleading) In hand-to-hand balance, the person who supports the flyer; the person that remains in contact with the ground.
  22. (linguistics) A morpheme (or morphemes) that serves as a basic foundation on which affixes can be attached.
  23. (music) Dated form of bass.
  24. (military, historical) The smallest kind of cannon.
  25. (archaic) The housing of a horse.
  26. (historical, sometimes in the plural) A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mail or other armour) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.
    Coordinate term: lamboys
    • 1977, Armours of Henry VIII:
      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.
    • 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:
      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. [...]
  27. (obsolete) The lower part of a robe or petticoat.
  28. (obsolete) An apron.
    • 1613, John Marston, The Insatiate Countess:
      bakers in their linen bases
  29. 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.
  30. (politics) A group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office.
    Synonyms: electoral base, political base
  31. (Marxism) The forces and relations of production that produce the necessities and amenities of life.
    Synonym: substructure
    Antonym: superstructure
  32. A material that holds paint or other materials together; a binder.
  33. (aviation) Short for base leg.
  34. (slang, uncountable) freebase cocaine
    • 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):
      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.
Synonyms edit
  • (chemical compound that will neutralize an acid): alkali
Antonyms edit
  • (chemical compound that will neutralize an alkali): acid
  • (end of a leaf): apex
Hyponyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also edit

Other terms used in arithmetic operations:

Advanced hyperoperations: tetration, pentation, hexation

Verb edit

base (third-person singular simple present bases, present participle basing, simple past and past participle based)

  1. (transitive) To give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page vii:
      Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.
  2. (transitive) To be located (at a particular place).
  3. (acrobatics, cheerleading) To act as a base; to be the person supporting the flyer.
    • 2005, John T. Warren, Laura B. Lengel, Casting Gender: Women and Performance in Intercultural Context, →ISBN, page 73:
      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.
  4. (slang) To freebase.
    • 1984, “8 Million Stories”, in Ego Trip, performed by Kurtis Blow ft. Run-DMC:
      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
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

From Middle English base, bas, from Old French bas, from Late Latin bassus (low). Cognate with Spanish bajo, Italian basso and base.

Adjective edit

base (comparative baser or more base, superlative basest or most base)

  1. (obsolete) Low in height; short.
  2. Low in place or position.
  3. (obsolete) Of low value or degree.
  4. (archaic) Of low social standing or rank; vulgar, common.
    • c. 1587–1588, [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:
      UUhat meanes the mightie Turkiſh Emperor
      To talke with one ſo baſe as Tamburlaine?
    • 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:
      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?
    • 1623, Francis Bacon, De Augmentis Scientiarum:
      a peasant and base swain
  5. Morally reprehensible, immoral; cowardly.
  6. (now rare) Inferior; unworthy, of poor quality.
    • 1932, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World[1], London: Chatto & Windus:
      'Like this horrible film.'
      'Horrible?' Lenina was genuinely astonished. 'But I thought it was lovely.'
      'It was base,' he said indignantly, 'it was ignoble.'
  7. (of a metal) Not considered precious or noble.
  8. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased.
    base coin
    base bullion
  9. (obsolete) Of illegitimate birth; bastard.
  10. Not classical or correct.
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, edited by James Nichols, The Church History of Britain, [], new edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: [] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, [], published 1837, →OCLC:
      base Latin
      The spelling has been modernized.
  11. Obsolete form of bass.
    the base tone of a violin
  12. (law) Not held by honourable service.
    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.
Usage notes edit
  • Said of fellows, motives, occupations, etc.
Synonyms edit
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 3 edit

Probably a specific use of Etymology 1, above; perhaps also a development of the plural of bar.

Noun edit

base (uncountable)

  1. (now chiefly US, historical) The game of prisoners' bars. [from 15th c.]

Etymology 4 edit

Variant forms.

Noun edit

base

  1. Alternative form of BASE
Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

References edit

  1. ^ 1839, Andrew Ure, A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines,

Anagrams edit

Afrikaans edit

Noun edit

base

  1. plural of baas

Asturian edit

Etymology edit

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. base

Related terms edit

Bambara edit

Noun edit

base

  1. a bush taxi, a common type of public transit
    Synonym: duurunin

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. base
  2. basis
  3. grounding
  4. foundation

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

Czech edit

Etymology 1 edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base

  1. dative/locative singular of basa
  2. vocative/locative singular of bas

Etymology 2 edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base f

  1. Obsolete form of báze.
Declension edit

Danish edit

Etymology edit

From French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βᾰ́σῐς (básis). Doublet of basis and also related distantly to komme.

Noun edit

base c (singular definite basen, plural indefinite baser)

  1. (chemistry) base (generally understood to be a Brønsted-Lowry base)
  2. (military) base
  3. headquarters

Declension edit

Synonyms edit

Descendants edit

  • Icelandic: basi m

Dutch edit

 
Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Alternative forms edit

  • basis (obsolete in this sense)

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French base, from Latin basis. Doublet of basis. Also a distant doublet of komst, via Proto-Indo-European *gʷḿ̥tis.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base f (plural basen, diminutive basetje n)

  1. (chemistry) base (class of compounds), alkali

Synonyms edit

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • Indonesian: basa

References edit

  • base” in Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal – Officiële Spelling, Nederlandse Taalunie. [the official spelling word list for the Dutch language]

French edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. base (bottom part of something)
  2. base (safe place)
  3. base, basis (fundamental belief)
  4. (chemistry) base

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

Further reading edit

Galician edit

Etymology edit

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. base

Related terms edit

Italian edit

 
Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it

Etymology edit

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈba.ze/
  • Rhymes: -aze
  • Hyphenation: bà‧se

Noun edit

base f (plural basi)

  1. base, alkaline
  2. basis
  3. (figurative) mainstay

Antonyms edit

Related terms edit

Latin edit

Noun edit

base

  1. ablative singular of basis

Middle English edit

Etymology 1 edit

Borrowed from Old French base, from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βᾰ́σῐς (básis), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷémtis.

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

base (plural bases)

  1. A foundation or base; the bottom of a building.
  2. The foundation, base, or bottom of a column, statue, or vase.
  3. (rare) Padding inserted below a horse's bridle.
  4. (rare) A hand's palm; the section of a hand below the fingers.
  5. (rare) The bottom portion of a dress.
  6. (rare, alchemy) The mix of metals used as a base for alchemical operations.
Descendants edit
References edit

Etymology 2 edit

Adjective edit

base

  1. Alternative form of bas

Etymology 3 edit

Noun edit

base

  1. Alternative form of bace

Moore edit

Pronunciation edit

Verb edit

base

  1. to leave
  2. to cancel, stop, cease
  3. to abandon, throw away

Northern Sami edit

Pronunciation edit

  • (Kautokeino) IPA(key): /ˈpase/

Verb edit

base

  1. inflection of bassit:
    1. present indicative connegative
    2. second-person singular imperative
    3. imperative connegative

Norwegian Bokmål edit

 
Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia no

Etymology edit

From English base, and French base (in chemistry). Ultimately from Latin basis and a doublet of basis.

Noun edit

base m (definite singular basen, indefinite plural baser, definite plural basene)

  1. (chemistry, military, general) a base

Derived terms edit

References edit

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

 
Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nn

Etymology edit

From English base, and French base (in chemistry). Ultimately from Latin basis and a doublet of basis.

Noun edit

base m (definite singular basen, indefinite plural basar, definite plural basane)

  1. (chemistry, military, general) a base

Derived terms edit

References edit

Old French edit

Etymology edit

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Noun edit

base oblique singularf (oblique plural bases, nominative singular base, nominative plural bases)

  1. base (bottom part; supporting part)

Descendants edit

References edit

  • Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (base, supplement)

Portuguese edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Pronunciation edit

 

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. basis
  2. base
  3. (chemistry) base
    Antonym: ácido
  4. groundwork

Related terms edit

Rukai edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Japanese バス (basu).

Noun edit

base

  1. (vehicles) bus

Etymology 2 edit

Noun edit

base

  1. broth

Spanish edit

 
Spanish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia es

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈbase/ [ˈba.se]
  • Audio (Colombia):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ase
  • Syllabification: ba‧se

Etymology 1 edit

From Latin basis, from Ancient Greek βάσις (básis).

Noun edit

base f (plural bases)

  1. base
  2. basis
  3. (linear algebra) basis
  4. grounding
  5. (cosmetics) foundation
  6. (basketball) point guard
  7. (baseball) base
  8. (Marxism) base (forces and relations of production that produce the necessities and amenities of life)
    Synonym: infraestructura
    Antonym: superestructura
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit

Etymology 2 edit

Verb edit

base

  1. inflection of basar:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading edit

Tagalog edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Spanish base (basis). The baseball definition is from English base, but pronounced the same as the Spanish word.

Pronunciation edit

  • Hyphenation: ba‧se
  • IPA(key): /ˈbase/, [ˈba.sɛ]

Noun edit

base (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜐᜒ)

  1. base; basis
    Synonyms: batayan, tuntunin, pamantayan
  2. (baseball) base

Derived terms edit

Venetian edit

Adjective edit

base f

  1. feminine plural of baso