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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Base \Base\ (b[=a]s), 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.

Usage: {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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Base \Base\, n. [F. base, L. basis, fr. Gr. ba`sis a stepping,
step, a base, pedestal, fr. bai`nein 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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Base \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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Base \Base\ (b[=a]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Based} (b[=a]sd); 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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Bass \Bass\ (b[=a]s), 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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