Definition

1. Noun:

   • A foundation or bottom part: The lowest part or supporting structure of something.
   • A main or central part: The principal element or ingredient in a mixture.
   • A center of operations: A place used as a headquarters or starting point for activities, especially military.
   • A chemical substance: A compound that reacts with an acid to form a salt.
   • A concept in mathematics: The number on which a counting system is constructed.

2. Verb:

   • To establish or found: To use something as the foundation, support, or starting point for something else.
   • To station or locate centrally: To have the main center of operations in a particular place.

3. Adjective:

   • Morally low; dishonorable: Lacking in moral principles; mean-spirited.
   • Of inferior quality: Not valuable or genuine; common or alloyed with cheaper material.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The lamp has a heavy marble base. (The bottom support of the lamp is made of marble.)
  • The soup has a tomato base. (The main ingredient of the soup is tomato.)
  • The army returned to its base. (The army went back to its central headquarters.)
  • Sodium hydroxide is a strong base. (Sodium hydroxide is a type of chemical compound.)
  • The decimal system uses ten as its base. (The number ten is the foundation of the decimal counting system.)

• Verb:

  • She will base her novel on historical events. (She will use historical events as the foundation for her novel.)
  • The company bases its operations in Singapore. (The company has its main center of operations in Singapore.)

• Adjective:

  • His actions were motivated by base greed. (His actions were driven by dishonorable greed.)
  • The statue is made of a base metal like iron, not gold. (The statue is made from a common, non-precious metal.)

Advanced Usage

• "To touch base": To make contact or communicate briefly with someone.
  • I need to touch base with the marketing team about the project.
• "Off base": Incorrect or misguided.
  • Your assumptions about the problem are completely off base.
• "Cover all the bases": To prepare for every possible situation or contingency.
  • We need a thorough plan to cover all the bases.

Variants and Related Words

• Baseless (adj): Without foundation in fact.
  • The accusations were completely baseless.
• Baseline (n): A starting point used for comparisons.
  • We measured the results against a baseline.
• Basic (adj): Forming the essential foundation.
  • She has a basic understanding of the rules.
• Basis (n): The underlying support or foundation for an idea or process.
  • Trust forms the basis of a good relationship.

Synonyms

• Noun (Foundation): Foundation, bottom, foot, groundwork.
• Noun (Center): Headquarters, center, station, post.
• Verb: Found, ground, establish, build.
• Adjective: Ignoble, mean, low, vile, dishonorable.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Base on/upon: To use as a foundation or source.
  • This theory is based on years of research.
• Base out of: To operate from a particular location.
  • The rescue team is based out of the city's main hospital.

Related Idioms

• "Get to first base": To achieve the first step toward a goal.
  • We couldn't even get to first base with the investors.
• "On base": In baseball, occupying one of the bases; more generally, in a position to make progress.
  • With two runners on base, the pressure was on the pitcher.

Adjective

1. debased; not genuine
   • an attempt to eliminate the base coinage
2. illegitimate
3. 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
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
5. (used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal
   • base coins of aluminum
   • a base metal
6. of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense)
   • baseborn wretches with dirty faces
   • of humble (or lowly) birth
7. serving as or forming a base
   • the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats

Noun

1. (electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
2. a flat bottom on which something is intended to sit
   • a tub should sit on its own base
3. 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
4. the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area
   • the industrial base of Japan
5. (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
   • thematic vowels are part of the stem
6. 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
7. the place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end
8. (numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place
   • 10 is the radix of the decimal system
9. the most important or necessary part of something
   • the basis of this drink is orange juice
10. the bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed
    • the base of the triangle
11. 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
12. a phosphoric ester of a nucleoside; the basic structural unit of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)
13. a support or foundation
    • the base of the lamp
14. the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained
    • the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
15. a lower limit
    • the government established a wage floor
16. (anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment
    • the base of the skull
17. the bottom or lowest part
    • the base of the mountain
18. a place that the runner must touch before scoring
    • he scrambled to get back to the bag
19. lowest support of a structure
    • it was built on a base of solid rock
    • he stood at the foot of the tower
20. installation from which a military force initiates operations
    • the attack wiped out our forward bases

Verb

1. use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes
2. situate as a center of operations
   • we will base this project in the new lab
3. use as a basis for; found on
   • base a claim on some observation