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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Base

Bāse, a.

adjective

a. [O. Eng. beas, Fr. & Pr. bas, It. basso, Sp. baco, Pg. baixo, low, L. Lat. bassus, thick, fat, short, humble. Cf. W. bas, shallow. See ABASE.]

  1. Low in place. [Obs.] Spenser.
  2. Of humble birth and low degree; mean; lowly. “The peasants and baser people.” Spenser.
  3. Illegitimate by birth. “Why bastard? wherefore base?” Shak.
  4. Low in value or estimation; as, alloyed with baser metal.
  5. Morally low; hence, unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; mean; illiberal; disingenuous. “Base ingratitude.” Milton.
  6. Not classical or refined. “Base Latin.” Fuller.
  7. Deep or grave in sound; as the base tone of a violin. [In this sense, written also bass.]
  8. (Law.) Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable, or by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant. So writers on the laws of England use the terms a base fee, a base court.

Synonyms—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 want 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.

Bāse, n.

noun

n. [Fr. base, Pr. baza, It. & Sp. basa, base, Lat. basis, Gr. βάσις, a stepping, step, a base, pedestal, from βαίνειν, to step.]

Sense 1. The bottom of any thing, considered as its support, or the part of a thing on which it stands or rests; as, the base of a column. “The base of mighty mountains.” Prescott.

Sense 2. (Arch.) (a.) The part of a column between the top of the pedestal and bottom of the shaft, or if there is no pedestal, between the bottom of the column and the plinth. (b.) The lower projecting part of the wall of a room, consisting of a plinth and its moldings. Gwilt.

Sense 3. (Bot.) That extremity of a leaf, fruit, &c., at which it is attached to its support.

Sense 4. (Chem.) The principal element of a compound, usually electro-positive in quality. See RADICAL.

Sense 5. (Dyeing.) A substance used as a mordant. Ure.

Sense 6. (Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angle of two adjacent bastions.

Sense 7. (Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand; the intersection of a cone by a plane.

Sense 8. [Fr. basse, bass, base, f. of bas, low. See supra.] (Mus.) The lowest part; the gravest male voice. [Also written bass.]

Sense 9. (Mil.) (a.) A tract of country protected by fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the operations of an army proceed. (b.) The least sort of ordnance.

Sense 10. (Zoöl.) That part or extremity of any thing by which it is attached to another of higher value or signification. Dana.

Sense 11. (Antiq.) A kind of embroidered mantle which hung down from the middle to about the knees, or lower, worn by knights on horseback. [Obs.] Sidney.

Sense 12. (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.

Sense 13. A starting-place or goal from which racers or tilters start.

To their appointed base they went. Dryden.

Sense 14. A rustic play, called also prisoners’ base, or bars. “To run the country base.” Shak.

Sense 15. An apron. [Obs.] “Bakers in their linen bases.” Marston.

Bāse, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. BASED (bāst); p. pr. & vb. n. BASING.] [See BASE, a., and BASE, n., and cf. ABASE.]

Sense 1. To put on a base or basis; to found. Bacon.

Sense 2. To abase; to let down; to lower. [Obs.] “If any ... based his pike.” North.

This great warrior ... based his arms and ensigns of state. Holland.

Sense 3. To reduce the value of; to debase. [Obs.]

Metals which we can not base. Bacon.