• |
Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as,
base shrubs. |
• |
Low in place or position. |
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Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. |
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Illegitimate by birth; bastard. |
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Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and
silver, the precious metals. |
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Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base
bullion. |
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Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of
sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base
motives; base occupations. |
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Not classical or correct. |
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Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. |
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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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The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on
which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a
statue. |
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Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the
essential principle; a groundwork. |
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The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a
separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented. |
• |
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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That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is
attached to its support. |
• |
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. |
• |
The chief ingredient in a compound. |
• |
A substance used as a mordant. |
• |
The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line
which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions. |
• |
The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on
which it is supposed to stand. |
• |
The number from which a mathematical table is constructed;
as, the base of a system of logarithms. |
• |
A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the
deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays,
base. |
• |
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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The smallest kind of cannon. |
• |
That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more
central organ. |
• |
The basal plane of a crystal. |
• |
The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly
crystalline. |
• |
The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon. |
• |
The housing of a horse. |
• |
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. |
• |
The lower part of a robe or petticoat. |
• |
An apron. |
• |
The point or line from which a start is made; a starting
place or a goal in various games. |
• |
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. |
• |
A rustic play; -- called also prisoner's base, prison base,
or bars. |
• |
Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the
infield. |
• |
To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to
found, as an argument or conclusion; -- used with on or upon. |
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To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower. |
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To reduce the value of; to debase. |