cover every base

ˈbās

noun

the bottom of something considered as its support : foundation the lamp's heavy base

the base of the mountain

biology that part of a bodily organ by which it is attached to another more central structure of the organism

the base of the thumb

the lower part of a wall, pier, or column considered as a separate architectural feature

a side or face (see face entry 1 sense 5a(5)) of a geometrical figure from which an altitude (see altitude sense 1c(1)) can be constructedespecially: a side or face on which the figure stands

the base of a triangle

a main ingredient

paint having a latex base

a supporting or carrying ingredient (as of a medicine)

a first or bottom layer of something on which other elements are added

Overnight, Utah's famous snow has freshly blanketed both runs, adding to a solid base of three feet …—Abby Carroll

the fundamental part of something : groundwork, basis her broad base of knowledge

the book's theoretical base

something (as a group of people) that reliably provides support (such as for a business or political candidate)—usually singularthe band's fan baseBut I do believe that that's a very sore point with many Democrats and could be used to energize their base.—John McCain

efforts to expand their customer base

Marxism the economic factors on which all legal, social, and political relations are formed

the starting point or line for an action or undertaking

plans to make this city his base of operation—J. A. Loftus

a baseline in surveying

a center or area of operations: such as

The company has its base in London.

linguistics root sense 6

"Leave" is the base of the verb "left."

a number (such as 5 in 56.44 or 57) that is raised to a power (see power entry 1 sense 5a)especially: the number that when raised to a power equal to the logarithm of a number yields the number itself

The logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2 since 102 = 100.

any one of the four stations at the corners of a baseball or softball infield

allowing the batter to reach base

in various games the starting place or goal

a point to be considered

His opening remarks touched every base.

any of various typically water-soluble and bitter tasting compounds that in solution have a pH greater than 7, are capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt, and are molecules or ions able to take up a proton from an acid or able to give up an unshared pair of electrons to an acid

any of the five purine or pyrimidine bases of DNA and RNA that include cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine, and uracil

finance a price level at which a security (see security sense 3) previously declining in price resists further decline

heraldry the lower part of a heraldic field (see field entry 1 sense 3c)

linguistics the part of a transformational grammar that consists of rules and a lexicon and generates the deep structures of a language

an electrode that modulates the current flowing through a bipolar junction transistor according to the voltage applied to the electrode compare gate entry 1 sense 5b

This gate, which is called a grid in a tube and a base in a transistor, enables a small "controlling" voltage to turn on and off a much larger voltage between the cathode and the anode.—Thom Hartmann

verb

transitive verb

to find a foundation or basis for : to find a base (see base entry 1 sense 3a) for—usually used with on or upona story based upon real-life events

base an opinion on faulty information

to make, form, or serve as a base for the company is based in London clients who are based out of their homes

… great roots based the tree columns …—George Macdonald

adjective (1)

lacking or indicating the lack of higher qualities of mind or spirit : ignoble appealing to a person's baser instincts

seemed a base betrayal of idealism—L. M. Sears

lacking higher values : degrading

a drab base way of life

being of comparatively low value and having relatively inferior properties (such as lack of resistance to corrosion) compare noble entry 1

a base metal such as iron

containing a larger than usual proportion of base metals

base silver denarii

resembling a villein : servile

a base tenant

held by villenage

base tenure

archaic of little height

… the cedar stoops not to the base shrub's foot …—Shakespeare

archaic baseborn

… base in kind and born to be a slave.—William Cowper

obsolete low in place or position

… fall to the base earth from the firmament!—Shakespeare

obsolete bass

adjective (2)

constituting or serving as a base

This situation is frequently encountered by seaplane pilots in northern Canada who must fly over lakes and tundra to a base camp located on a river.—Alan Lopez

of the simplest or most basic design or form : having the form of something before upgrades or customization

This GTO's 350-hp, 5.7-liter V8 is the same that's used in the base Corvette, and it produces the power and throaty exhaust sound of a classic muscle car.—Consumer Reports

noun

the bottom of something considered as its support : foundation the lamp's heavy base

the base of the mountain

biology that part of a bodily organ by which it is attached to another more central structure of the organism

the base of the thumb

the lower part of a wall, pier, or column considered as a separate architectural feature

a side or face (see face entry 1 sense 5a(5)) of a geometrical figure from which an altitude (see altitude sense 1c(1)) can be constructedespecially: a side or face on which the figure stands

the base of a triangle

a main ingredient

paint having a latex base

a supporting or carrying ingredient (as of a medicine)

a first or bottom layer of something on which other elements are added

Overnight, Utah's famous snow has freshly blanketed both runs, adding to a solid base of three feet …—Abby Carroll

the fundamental part of something : groundwork, basis her broad base of knowledge

the book's theoretical base

something (as a group of people) that reliably provides support (such as for a business or political candidate)—usually singularthe band's fan baseBut I do believe that that's a very sore point with many Democrats and could be used to energize their base.—John McCain

efforts to expand their customer base

Marxism the economic factors on which all legal, social, and political relations are formed

the starting point or line for an action or undertaking

plans to make this city his base of operation—J. A. Loftus

a baseline in surveying

a center or area of operations: such as

The company has its base in London.

linguistics root sense 6

"Leave" is the base of the verb "left."

a number (such as 5 in 56.44 or 57) that is raised to a power (see power entry 1 sense 5a)especially: the number that when raised to a power equal to the logarithm of a number yields the number itself

The logarithm of 100 to the base 10 is 2 since 102 = 100.

any one of the four stations at the corners of a baseball or softball infield

allowing the batter to reach base

in various games the starting place or goal

a point to be considered

His opening remarks touched every base.

any of various typically water-soluble and bitter tasting compounds that in solution have a pH greater than 7, are capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt, and are molecules or ions able to take up a proton from an acid or able to give up an unshared pair of electrons to an acid

any of the five purine or pyrimidine bases of DNA and RNA that include cytosine, guanine, adenine, thymine, and uracil

finance a price level at which a security (see security sense 3) previously declining in price resists further decline

heraldry the lower part of a heraldic field (see field entry 1 sense 3c)

linguistics the part of a transformational grammar that consists of rules and a lexicon and generates the deep structures of a language

an electrode that modulates the current flowing through a bipolar junction transistor according to the voltage applied to the electrode compare gate entry 1 sense 5b

This gate, which is called a grid in a tube and a base in a transistor, enables a small "controlling" voltage to turn on and off a much larger voltage between the cathode and the anode.—Thom Hartmann

verb

transitive verb

to find a foundation or basis for : to find a base (see base entry 1 sense 3a) for—usually used with on or upona story based upon real-life events

base an opinion on faulty information

to make, form, or serve as a base for the company is based in London clients who are based out of their homes

… great roots based the tree columns …—George Macdonald

adjective (1)

lacking or indicating the lack of higher qualities of mind or spirit : ignoble appealing to a person's baser instincts

seemed a base betrayal of idealism—L. M. Sears

lacking higher values : degrading

a drab base way of life

being of comparatively low value and having relatively inferior properties (such as lack of resistance to corrosion) compare noble entry 1

a base metal such as iron

containing a larger than usual proportion of base metals

base silver denarii

resembling a villein : servile

a base tenant

held by villenage

base tenure

archaic of little height

… the cedar stoops not to the base shrub's foot …—Shakespeare

archaic baseborn

… base in kind and born to be a slave.—William Cowper

obsolete low in place or position

… fall to the base earth from the firmament!—Shakespeare

obsolete bass

adjective (2)

constituting or serving as a base

This situation is frequently encountered by seaplane pilots in northern Canada who must fly over lakes and tundra to a base camp located on a river.—Alan Lopez

of the simplest or most basic design or form : having the form of something before upgrades or customization

This GTO's 350-hp, 5.7-liter V8 is the same that's used in the base Corvette, and it produces the power and throaty exhaust sound of a classic muscle car.—Consumer Reports

Noun Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin basis, from Greek, step, base, from bainein to go — more at come Verb verbal derivative of base >entry 1 Adjective (1) Middle English bas, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin bassus fat, short, low

The first known use of base was in the 14th century

base1 of 3noun

a thing or part on which something rests : bottom, foundation

the base of a lamp

the part of a plant or animal structure by which it is attached to another more central structure

the base of the thumb

one of the lines or flat surfaces of a geometric figure from which an altitude is or can be constructedespecially: one on which the figure stands base of a triangle

bases of a trapezoid

a main ingredient

paint having a water base

a fundamental part : basis

the place from which a start is made

a line in a survey that is used to calculate distances or positions

a place where a military force keeps its supplies or from which it starts its operations air base

naval base

a number equal to the number of units that would be equivalent to one in the next higher place in a given number systemalso: a system of writing numbers using a given base convert base 10 to base 2

in base 10 it takes 10 ones in the units place to equal a one in the tens place

root entry 1 sense 5

the starting place or goal in various games

any of the four stations a runner in baseball must touch in order to score

any of various compounds that react with an acid to form a salt, have a bitter taste, and turn red litmus paper blue

a number that is multiplied by a rate or of which a percentage or fraction is calculated

to find the interest on $90 at 10% multiply the base 90 by .10

base2 of 3verb

to make, form, or serve as a base for

to use as a base or basis for : establish

base3 of 3adjective

being of low value and having less desirable properties when compared with something else

a base metal such as iron

containing more than the usual amount of base metals

not honorable or moral : mean

base conduct