Bases

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Basis \Ba"sis\ (b[=a]"s[i^]s), n.; pl. {Bases} (b[=a]"s[=e]z).
     [L. basis, Gr. ba`sis. See {Base}, n.]
     1. The foundation of anything; that on which a thing rests.
        --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. The pedestal of a column, pillar, or statue. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              If no basis bear my rising name.      --Pope.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The groundwork; the first or fundamental principle; that
        which supports.
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              The basis of public credit is good faith. --A.
                                                    Hamilton.
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     4. The principal component part of a thing.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  bases
       See {base}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  base
       adj 1: serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base
              coat followed by two finishing coats" [syn: {basal}]
       2: (used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior
          metal; "base coins of aluminum"; "a base metal"
       3: of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense);
          "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or
          lowly) birth" [syn: {baseborn}, {humble}, {lowly}]
       4: 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"
          [syn: {dishonorable}, {dishonourable}, {immoral}, {unethical}]
       5: 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" [syn: {mean}, {meanspirited}]
       6: illegitimate [syn: {baseborn}]
       7: debased; not genuine; "an attempt to eliminate the base
          coinage"
       n 1: 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" [syn: {alkali}]
       2: installation from which a military force initiates
          operations; "the attack wiped out our forward bases" [syn:
           {base of operations}]
       3: lowest support of a structure; "it was built on a base of
          solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower" [syn: {foundation},
           {fundament}, {foot}, {groundwork}, {substructure}, {understructure}]
       4: place that runner must touch before scoring; "he scrambled
          to get back to the bag" [syn: {bag}]
       5: (numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent
          to one in the next higher counting place; "10 is the radix
          of the decimal system" [syn: {radix}]
       6: the bottom or lowest part; "the base of the mountain"
       7: (anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of
          attachment; "the base of the skull"
       8: a lower limit; "the government established a wage floor"
          [syn: {floor}]
       9: the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or
          developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument
          rested on a basis of conjecture" [syn: {basis}, {foundation},
           {fundament}, {groundwork}, {cornerstone}]
       10: a support or foundation; "the base of the lamp" [syn: {pedestal},
            {stand}]
       11: the bottom side of a geometric figure from which the
           altitude can be constructed; "the base of the triangle"
       12: the most important or necessary part of something; "the
           basis of this drink is orange juice" [syn: {basis}]
       13: the place where you are stationed and from which missions
           start and end [syn: {home}]
       14: an intensely anti-western terrorist network that dispenses
           money and logistical support and training to a wide
           variety of radical Islamic terrorist group; has cells in
           more than 50 countries [syn: {al-Qaeda}, {Qaeda}, {al-Qa'ida},
            {al-Qaida}]
       15: (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are
           removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem" [syn: {root},
            {root word}, {stem}, {theme}, {radical}]
       16: the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed
           for the functioning of a country or area; "the industrial
           base of Japan" [syn: {infrastructure}]
       17: 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"
       18: a flat bottom on which something is intended to sit; "a tub
           should sit on its own base"
       19: (electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the
           emitter from the collector
       v 1: use as a basis for; found on; "base a claim on some
            observation" [syn: {establish}, {ground}, {found}]
       2: use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes
          [syn: {free-base}]
       3: assign to a station [syn: {station}, {post}, {send}, {place}]
       [also: {bases} (pl)]