~ 1
■ noun
1》 the lowest part of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.
↘ Architecture the part of a column between the shaft and pedestal or pavement.
↘ Botany & Zoology the end at which a part or organ is attached to the trunk or main participle
2》 a conceptual structure or entity on which something draws or depends: the town's economic ~ collapsed.
↘a foundation or starting point.
3》 a person's main place of work or residence.
↘a centre of operations for military or other activity.
4》 a main element or ingredient to which other things are added.
↘a substance into which a pigment is mixed to form paint.
5》 Chemistry a substance capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt and water, or of accepting or neutralizing hydrogen ions.
6》 Electronics the middle part of a bipolar transistor, separating the emitter from the collector.
7》 Linguistics the root or stem of a word or a derivative.
↘the uninflected form of a verb.
8》 Mathematics a number used as the basis of a numeration scale.
↘a number in terms of which other numbers are expressed as logarithms.
9》 Baseball one of the four stations that must be reached in turn to score a run.
■ verb
1》 ( ~ something on ) use something as the foundation for: the film is ~d on a novel.
2》 use a place as a centre of operations.
Phrases
get to first ~ informal, chiefly N. Amer. achieve the first step towards one's objective.
off ~ informal mistaken.
touch ~ informal briefly make or renew contact.
Derivatives
-~d adjective
Origin
ME: from OFr., from L. basis '~, pedestal', from Gk.
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~ 2
■ adjective
1》 without moral principles; ignoble.
2》 archaic denoting or befitting a person of low social class.
3》 (of coins or other articles) not made of precious metal.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
Origin
ME (in the sense 'low, short'): from OFr. bas , from med. L. bassus 'short' (found in classical L. as a cognomen).