Base Definition
base
adjective
- serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats"
- of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth"
- (used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal; "base coins of aluminum"; "a base metal"
- 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"
- 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"
- illegitimate
- debased; not genuine; "an attempt to eliminate the base coinage"
noun
- installation from which a military force initiates operations; "the attack wiped out our forward bases"
- lowest support of a structure; "it was built on a base of solid rock"; "he stood at the foot of the tower"
- a place that the runner must touch before scoring; "he scrambled to get back to the bag"
- the bottom or lowest part; "the base of the mountain"
- (anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment; "the base of the skull"
- a lower limit; "the government established a wage floor"
- the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture"
- a support or foundation; "the base of the lamp"
- a phosphoric ester of a nucleoside; the basic structural unit of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)
- 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"
- the bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed; "the base of the triangle"
- the most important or necessary part of something; "the basis of this drink is orange juice"
- (numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place; "10 is the radix of the decimal system"
- the place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end
- a terrorist network intensely opposed to the United States that dispenses money and logistical support and training to a wide variety of radical Islamic terrorist groups; has cells in more than 50 countries
- (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed; "thematic vowels are part of the stem"
- the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; "the industrial base of Japan"
- 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"
- a flat bottom on which something is intended to sit; "a tub should sit on its own base"
- (electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
verb
- use as a basis for; found on; "base a claim on some observation"
- situate as a center of operations; "we will base this project in the new lab"
- use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes
"Base" in song lyrics
See how base is used in real songs:
-
"of this cocaine base"
51.50 — I Can't Win -
"With that tape, all you really robbing is your fan base"
7L & Esoteric — Mercy Killing -
"I'm taggin rappers out, cuz they're way off base"
7L & Esoteric — Call Me E.S.
Words that rhyme with base
Usage tips for "base"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "base" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for base to find words that pair well.