Definitions for basebeɪs

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

base^*beɪs(n.; adj.; v.)based, bas•ing.

(n.)a bottom support; that on which a thing stands or rests.
a fundamental principle; basis.
the bottom layer or coating, as of makeup or paint.
the distinctively treated portion of a column or pier below the shaft. the distinctively treated lowermost portion of any structure, as a monument or exterior wall.
Category: Architecture
the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment. the point of attachment.
Category: Zoology, Botany
the principal element or ingredient of anything, considered as its fundamental part:
house paint with a lead base.
a starting point or point of departure.
any of the four corners of a baseball diamond, esp. first, second, or third base. a square canvas sack marking first, second, or third base.
Category: Sport
Ref: Compare home plate.
a usu. fortified place from which military operations proceed. a supply installation for a large military force.
Category: Military
the lower side or surface of a geometric figure; the side or surface to which an altitude can be drawn. the number that serves as a starting point for a logarithmic or other numerical system. the number of symbols used in a numerical system:
The base in the decimal system is 10, in the binary system 2.
Category: Math
Category: Surveying
Ref: Also called baseline.; See under triangulation (def. 1). 1
a thin, flexible layer of cellulose triacetate or similar material on photographic film that holds the light-sensitive emulsion and other coatings.
Category: Motion Pictures, Photography
a chemical compound that reacts with an acid to form a salt. the hydroxide of a metal or of an electropositive element or group. a group or molecule that accepts protons. a molecule or ion containing an atom with a free pair of electrons that can be donated to an acid.
Category: Chemistry
Genetics. any of the purine or pyrimidine compounds that constitute a portion of the nucleotide molecule of DNA or RNA: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil.
Category: Genetics
Ref: Compare base pair.
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.
Category: Grammar
Ref: Compare root1 (def. 10) 1 1 11 , stem1 (def. 10). 1 16
the component of a generative grammar containing the lexicon and phrase-structure rules that generate the deep structure of sentences.
Category: Common Vocabulary, Language/Linguistics
Heraldry. the lower part of an escutcheon.
Category: Heraldry
Category: Jewelry
Ref: pavilion (def. 5). 6
(adj.)serving as or forming a base:
the explorer's base camp.
(v.t.)to make or form a base or foundation for.
to establish, as a fact or conclusion (usu. fol. by on or upon):
to base an assumption on evidence.
to place or establish on a base or basis; ground; found (usu. fol. by on or upon):
Our plan is based on an upturn in the economy.
to station, place, or situate (usu. fol. by at or on):
The general is based at Fort Benning.
(v.i.)to have a basis; be based.
to have or maintain a base.

Idioms for base:

off base, (in baseball) not touching a base. badly mistaken.
Category: Idiom, Sport
touch base,to get into contact.
Category: Idiom

^* Syn: base , basis , foundation refer to anything upon which a structure is built and upon which it rests. base usu. refers to a physical supporting structure: the base of a statue. basis more often refers to a figurative support: the basis of a report. foundation implies a solid, secure understructure.

Origin of base:

1275–1325; ME (n.) < MF < L basisbasis ; cf. prisoner's base

base^*beɪs(adj.)bas•er, bas•est.

morally low; contemptible:
base motives.
of little or no value; worthless:
base materials.
debased or counterfeit:
base coinage.
of illegitimate birth.
not refined:
base language.
held by or characteristic of villeinage.
Category: Law
Archaic. of humble origin or station. of small height. low in place, position, or degree.
Obs. deep or grave in sound; bass.

^* Syn: See mean2.

Origin of base:

1350–1400; ME bas < OF < LL bassus low, short, perh. of Oscan orig.

base′ness(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

base, base of operations(noun)
installation from which a military force initiates operations
"the attack wiped out our forward bases"
foundation, base, fundament, foot, groundwork, substructure, understructure(noun)
lowest support of a structure
"it was built on a base of solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower"
base, bag(noun)
a place that the runner must touch before scoring
"he scrambled to get back to the bag"
base(noun)
the bottom or lowest part
"the base of the mountain"
base(noun)
(anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment
"the base of the skull"
floor, base(noun)
a lower limit
"the government established a wage floor"
basis, base, foundation, fundament, groundwork, cornerstone(noun)
the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
"the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture"
base, pedestal, stand(noun)
a support or foundation
"the base of the lamp"
nucleotide, base(noun)
a phosphoric ester of a nucleoside; the basic structural unit of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)
base, alkali(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"
base(noun)
the bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed
"the base of the triangle"
basis, base(noun)
the most important or necessary part of something
"the basis of this drink is orange juice"
base, radix(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"
base, home(noun)
the place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end
al-Qaeda, Qaeda, al-Qa'ida, al-Qaida, Base(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
root, root word, base, stem, theme, radical(noun)
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
"thematic vowels are part of the stem"
infrastructure, base(noun)
the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area
"the industrial base of Japan"
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"
base(noun)
a flat bottom on which something is intended to sit
"a tub should sit on its own base"
base(adj)
(electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
basal, base(adj)
serving as or forming a base
"the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats"
base, baseborn, humble, lowly(adj)
of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)
"baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"
base(adj)
(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal
"base coins of aluminum"; "a base metal"
base, immoral(adj)
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"
base, mean, meanspirited(adj)
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"
base, baseborn(adj)
illegitimate
base(verb)
debased; not genuine
"an attempt to eliminate the base coinage"
establish, base, ground, found(verb)
use as a basis for; found on
"base a claim on some observation"
base(verb)
situate as a center of operations
"we will base this project in the new lab"
free-base, base(verb)
use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

base(noun)ɪs
the bottom part
the base of the mountain; a statue's marble base
baseɪs
a place where military employees live and work
an army base
baseɪs
the main place of a person's or organization's activities
the company's base of operations; I used my friend's house as a base for exploring the area.
baseɪs
people who regularly support or use sth
our customer base; the Republican base
baseɪs
(in baseball) one of the four places a runner must touch
first/second/third base
baseɪs
the main part of a mixture
a polish with an oil base
baseɪs
to do everything needed to complete sth
If we've covered all the bases, then we can go home.
baseɪs
wrong or inaccurate
The rumors are way off base.
base(verb)ɪs
to make a place be the main location of an organization's activities
The company is based in Detroit.; the Florida-based charity

Webster Dictionary

Base(adj)
of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs
Base(adj)
low in place or position
Base(adj)
of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean
Base(adj)
illegitimate by birth; bastard
Base(adj)
of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals
Base(adj)
alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion
Base(adj)
morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations
Base(adj)
not classical or correct
Base(adj)
deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin
Base(adj)
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
Base(noun)
the bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a statue
Base(noun)
fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork
Base(noun)
the lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented
Base(noun)
the lower part of a complete architectural design, as of a monument; also, the lower part of any elaborate piece of furniture or decoration
Base(noun)
that extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support
Base(noun)
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
Base(noun)
the chief ingredient in a compound
Base(noun)
a substance used as a mordant
Base(noun)
the exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions
Base(noun)
the line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand
Base(noun)
the number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms
Base(noun)
a low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base
Base(noun)
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
Base(noun)
the smallest kind of cannon
Base(noun)
that part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ
Base(noun)
the basal plane of a crystal
Base(noun)
the ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline
Base(noun)
the lower part of the field. See Escutcheon
Base(noun)
the housing of a horse
Base(noun)
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
Base(noun)
the lower part of a robe or petticoat
Base(noun)
an apron
Base(noun)
the point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games
Base(noun)
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
Base(noun)
a rustic play; -- called also prisoner's base, prison base, or bars
Base(noun)
any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield
Base(noun)
to put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; -- used with on or upon
Base(adj)
to abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower
Base(adj)
to reduce the value of; to debase

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

base
1. A locality from which operations are projected or supported. 2. An area or locality containing installations which provide logistic or other support. See also establishment. 3. Home airfield or home carrier. See also base of operations; facility.