B AS 



125 



B AS 



gunnery, the smallest piece of ordnance 

 used : bore li in., lentnh, 4 ft., load 5 Ib. 



7. In concholnay , that part of the shell 



in univalves by which they are attached 

 to rocks or other substances: in multi- 

 valves, the opposite extremity to the apex. 

 The last whorl of a spiral shell is culled 

 the base or basal whorl. In unattached 

 bivalves the term cannot be properly ap- 

 plied. Base and basis are often use'd in- 

 ditferently, the latter generally in pro- 

 fessions, and especially in chemistry, 

 pharmacy, and anatomy. See BASIS. 



EASE-FEE. In law, to hold in base-fee is 

 to hold at the will of the Lord : opposed 

 to soccye tenure. 



BASE- LIN E. In perspective, the common 

 section of a picture, and the geometrical 

 pUne. 



BASJB'MENT. In architecture, the ground 

 floor on which an order is placed with a 

 base or plinth . die and cornice. 



BA'SENZT, a helmet. Sometimes written 

 haRinet and bascinet. 



BASHAW*, a title of honour in the Tur- 

 kish dominions, which ought to be written 

 ana pronounced pashah. It is often written 

 patha. The Ar. is basht, and the Per. 

 pcuhd. 



BASI'ATOR, the orbicularis oris, a muscle 

 of the mouth : from basio, to kiss. 



msiGY'uiTTM, Gr. from /2*n{, the base, 

 and yy*i, female. A. stalk rising above 

 the origin of the calyx, and bearing an 

 ovary at its apex, as in Capparis. 



BA'SIL. 1. A word used by carpenters 

 and joiners, who pronounce it bazil, to 

 denote the angle to which the edge of an 



iron tool is ground. 2. The popular 



name of the Ocymum of botanists, espe- 

 cially the Ocymum basilicum or citron 

 basil, an Indian plant much used as a 

 condiment to season dishes, to which it 

 imparts a grateful odor and taste. Hence 

 the name from basilic (q. v.) 



BAS'ILABY-MONKS, are an existing order 

 of monks of the order of St. Basil, who 

 founded the order in Pontus. 



BASIL'IC, royal, from jSettrtXivs , a king. 

 This word, or its Latin type basilica, is 

 Ufied by architects to denote a spacious 

 building; e.g. a church, cathedral, royal 

 palace. 



BA'SIL-LEATHZR, tanned sheep-skin: 

 written also basnn. 



Anciently, the term basilira was used 



to designate a public hall or court of 



judicature, where the magistrates sat 



to administer justice ; but from the 



circumstance of Constantine giving the 



use of some basilica to the Christians 



for their worship, the term became 



with them synonymous with Church. 



Basilic is applied, in anatomy, to parts 



supposed to be pre-eminently important 



In their function* ; and in pharmacy, to 



compositions highly esteemed (or their 

 efficacy. 



BAS'ILISK, from fSctffikux, a king. A 

 highly poisonous serpent, which was so 

 called, according to Pliny, from a white 

 spot upon its head, which resembled a 

 crown. Many extravagances were be- 

 lieved by the ancients regarding this 

 serpent ; the moderns added more wonders, 

 and made it a monster sprung from a 

 cock's egg ! whence it got the name of 

 cockatrice. The animal at present known 

 by the name of basilisk, is a harmless 

 lizard. Basilisk is also a name given to 

 a large piece of ordnance from its sup- 

 posed resemblance in deadly effect to the 

 wonderful serpent of that name. The 

 old basilisk carried a ball of 200 Ibs. The 

 Dutch basilisk is 15 ft., the French 10 ft., 

 and carry a ball of 48 Ibs. 



saurine, described by Dr. Harlan of Phila- 

 delphia. Neither its relations to other 

 species, nor its geological position, are 

 yet determined. 



BA'SIS, Lat. from ftatfif, from /3cwa, to 

 go . originally the step or walk of an 

 animal on the sole of Ihe foot on which 

 the body is supported in walking, and 

 hence, analogically, that part of the body 

 which supports all the rest, viz., the 

 lowest part : Anglice,6ae. In anatomy, the 

 term is used to denote a part from which 

 other parts appear, as it were, to proceed, 

 or by which they are supported. In che- 

 mistry, the term is usually applied to 

 alkalies, earths, and metallic oxides, in 

 their relations to the acids and salts. It 

 is sometimes also applied to the particular 

 constituents of an acid or oxide, on the 

 supposition that the substance combined 

 with the oxygen &c. is the basis of the 

 compound to which it owes its particular 

 qualities. In pharmacy, the basis is the 

 principal ingredient in a compound. For 

 other significations, see BASE. 



BASIS'OLUTE, Lat. bam and solutus,fre. 

 Applied to leaves prolonged at the base 

 below the point of origin. 



BAS'KET, from ~VV. basged, of basq, a net- 

 ting. 1. A vessel made of twigs, &c.&c. 



2. As much as a basket will contain. In 

 military affairs the term is used to desig- 

 nate small baskets of earth , which serve 

 as a defence against small shot : called by 

 the French corbeilles. In architecture, the 

 term denotes a carving in the form of a 

 basket filled with flowers and fruits. 



BAS'KINO-SHABK, a species of Squall. 

 (See SQUALUS.) It is the largest of all the 

 shark tribe, and has nothing of the fero- 

 ci'.yof the shark. It inhabits the Arctic 

 seas, and lies much on the surface, basking 

 in the sun. 



BAS-RELIEF. Set B\sso RELIBVO. 



B>j>3. in "erne, the deepest or graTMt 



