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

basis \ba"sis\ b=a"si^s, n.; pl. bases b=a"s=ez.
   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.
      1913 webster

            the basis of public credit is good faith. --a.
                                                  hamilton.
      1913 webster

   4. the principal component part of a thing.
      1913 webster
see also:
bases base 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

bases
     see base
see also:
base 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

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
see also:
basal baseborn humble lowly dishonorable dishonourable 
immoral unethical mean meanspirited alkali 
base of operations foundation fundament foot groundwork 
substructure understructure bag radix floor 
basis cornerstone pedestal stand home 
al-qaeda qaeda al-qa'ida al-qaida root 
root word stem theme radical infrastructure 
establish ground found free-base station 
post send place bases 

Bases >> B Words
Bases, definition of term: Bases
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