(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
The ~ of something is the lowest or deepest part of it.
He sat at the ~ of the stairs...
Answers can be found at the ~ of page 8.
...the ~ of the sea.
? top
N-COUNT: usu the N in sing, oft N of n
2.
The ~ thing or layer in a series of things or layers is the lowest one.
There’s an extra duvet in the ~ drawer of the cupboard.
? top
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
The ~ of an object is the flat surface at its lowest point. You can also refer to the inside or outside of this surface as the ~.
Spread the onion slices on the ~ of the dish.
...the ~ of their shoes.
...a suitcase with a false ~.
= base
N-COUNT: usu the N in sing, usu with supp
4.
If you say that the ~ has dropped or fallen out of a market or industry, you mean that people have stopped buying the products it sells. (BUSINESS, JOURNALISM)
The ~ had fallen out of the city’s property market.
N-SING: the N
5.
The ~ of a street or garden is the end farthest away from you or from your house. (BRIT; in AM, usually use end )
...the Cathedral at the ~ of the street.
= end
N-SING: the N, usu N of n
6.
The ~ of a table is the end farthest away from where you are sitting. The ~ of a bed is the end where you usually rest your feet. (BRIT; in AM, usually use end )
Malone sat down on the ~ of the bed.
= end
N-SING: the N, usu N of n
7.
The ~ of an organization or career structure is the lowest level in it, where new employees often start.
He had worked in the theatre for many years, starting at the ~.
...a contract researcher at the ~ of the pay scale.
? top
N-SING: the N, oft N of n
8.
If someone is ~ or at the ~ in a survey, test, or league their performance is worse than that of all the other people involved.
He was always ~ of the class...
The team is close to ~ of the League.
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N-SING: the N, also no det
9.
Your ~ is the part of your body that you sit on.
If there was one thing she could change about her body it would be her ~.
N-COUNT: oft poss N
10.
The lower part of a bikini, tracksuit, or pair of pyjamas can be referred to as the ~s or the ~.
She wore blue tracksuit ~s.
...a skimpy bikini ~.
? top
N-COUNT: usu pl, oft n N
11.
see also -~ed , rock ~
12.
You use at ~ to emphasize that you are stating what you think is the real nature of something or the real truth about a situation.
The two systems are, at ~, conceptual models...
At ~, such an attitude is born not of concern for your welfare, but out of fear of losing you.
PHRASE: PHR with cl emphasis
13.
If something is at the ~ of a problem or unpleasant situation, it is the real cause of it.
Often I find that anger and resentment are at the ~ of the problem.
PHRASE: PHR n
14.
You can say that you mean something from the ~ of your heart to emphasize that you mean it very sincerely.
I’m happy, and I mean that from the ~ of my heart...
I want to thank everyone from the ~ of my heart.
PHRASE: heart inflects, PHR after v, PHR with cl emphasis
15.
If you want to get to the ~ of a problem, you want to solve it by finding out its real cause.
I have to get to the ~ of this mess.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
16.
to scrape the ~ of the barrel: see barrel