GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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Found 5 definitions 

  1.       

    Base , a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. Bass a part in music.]
    1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. [Archaic]
      Shak.

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    2. Low in place or position. [Obs.]
      Shak.

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    3. Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. [Archaic] “A peasant and base swain.”  
      Bacon.

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    4. Illegitimate by birth; bastard. [Archaic]
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      Why bastard? wherefore base?
      Shak.

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    5. Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals.
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    6. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion.
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    7. Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. “A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind.” Robynson (More's Utopia). “Base ingratitude.”  
      Milton.

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    8. Not classical or correct. “Base Latin.”  
      Fuller.

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    9. Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. [In this sense, commonly written bass.]
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    10. (Law) 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.
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      Base fee, formerly, an estate held at the will of the lord; now, a qualified fee. See note under Fee, n., 4. -- Base metal. See under Metal.
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      Syn. -- Dishonorable; worthless; ignoble; low-minded; infamous; sordid; degraded.  -- Base, Vile, Mean. These words, as expressing moral qualities, are here arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest being placed first. Base marks a high degree of moral turpitude; vile and mean denote, in different degrees, the lack of what is valuable or worthy of esteem.  What is base excites our abhorrence; what is vile provokes our disgust or indignation; what is mean awakens contempt.  Base is opposed to high-minded; vile, to noble; mean, to liberal or generous. Ingratitude is base; sycophancy is vile; undue compliances are mean.
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  2.       

    Base, n. [F. base, L. basis, fr. Gr. βάσις a stepping, step, a base, pedestal, fr. βαίνειν to go, step, akin to E. come. Cf. Basis, and see Come.]
    1. The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a statue. “The base of mighty mountains.”  
      Prescott.

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    2. Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork.
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    3. (Arch.) (a) The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented. (b) The lower part of a complete architectural design, as of a monument; also, the lower part of any elaborate piece of furniture or decoration.
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    4. (Bot.) That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support.
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    5. (Chem.) 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.
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    6. (Pharmacy) The chief ingredient in a compound.
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    7. (Dyeing) A substance used as a mordant.
      Ure.

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    8. (Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions.
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    9. (Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand.
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    10. (Math.) The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms.
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    11. [See Base low.] A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base.  [Now commonly written bass.]
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      The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar.
      Dryden.

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    12. (Mil.) 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.
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    13. (Mil.) The smallest kind of cannon. [Obs.]
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    14. (Zool.) That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ.
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    15. (Crystallog.) The basal plane of a crystal.
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    16. (Geol.) The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline.
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    17. (Her.) The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon.
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    18. The housing of a horse. [Obs.]
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    19. pl. 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. [Obs.]
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    20. The lower part of a robe or petticoat. [Obs.]
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    21. An apron. [Obs.]  “Bakers in their linen bases.”  
      Marston.

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    22. The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games.
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      To their appointed base they went.
      Dryden.

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    23. (Surv.) 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.
      Lyman.

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    24. A rustic play; -- called also prisoner's base, prison base, or bars. “To run the country base.”  
      Shak.

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    25. (Baseball) Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield.
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      Altern base. See under Altern. -- Attic base. (Arch.) See under Attic. -- Base course. (Arch.) (a) The first or lower course of a foundation wall, made of large stones or a mass of concrete; -- called also foundation course. (b) The architectural member forming the transition between the basement and the wall above. -- Base hit (Baseball), a hit, by which the batsman, without any error on the part of his opponents, is able to reach the first base without being put out. -- Base line. (a) A main line taken as a base, as in surveying or in military operations. (b) A line traced round a cannon at the rear of the vent. -- Base plate, the foundation plate of heavy machinery, as of the steam engine; the bed plate. -- Base ring (Ordnance), a projecting band of metal around the breech, connected with the body of the gun by a concave molding.  H. L. Scott.
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  3.       

    Base , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Based ; p. pr. & vb. n. Basing.] [From Base, n.] To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; -- used with on or upon.
    Bacon.

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  4.       

    Base, v. t. [See Base, a., and cf. Abase.]
    1. To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower. [Obs.]
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      If any . . . based his pike.
      Sir T. North.

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    2. To reduce the value of; to debase. [Obs.]
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      Metals which we can not base.
      Bacon.

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  5.       

    Bass , n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.]
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    1. A bass, or deep, sound or tone.
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    2. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part in a musical composition. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. [Written also base.]
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      Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.
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