base 
2. To lower in character, condition, or rank; 
degrade; debase. 3. To reduce the value of 
by the admixture of meaner elements ; debase. 
[Rare.] 
Metals which we cannot /m.,\ l;.'>,n 
base- (lias), . [< ME. basi; hit.*, buns, < OF. 
Imsr, !'. ln/sr. < L. Imsix, < <ir. ,Mnvf, a going, ;i 
stepping, a step, pedestal, foot, base, < / *jia, 
in fiaimr, go, = L. n-i/in: come, = E. <(/. | 
1. The bottom of anything, considered as its 
support, or the part of the thing itself, or a 
separate feature, on which the thing stands or 
rests : as, tln> Imsr of a column ; the IKISV of a 
mountain. 
For want like thine a \x>if witliuiit a base 
Ingulfs all ^ain.s I gather fur tile place. Crabbe. 
Against the l>ax>'* l the southern hills. 
l.nli-,'11. ll.dcr till- Willows. 
Hence 2. A fundamental priucipleorground- 
work; foundation: basis. 
Antonio never .vet was thief, or pirate, 
Though, I confess, on /M.SV and ground enough, 
Orsino's enemy. Shak., T. N., v. 1. 
Hereby he underniineth the lm*e of religion. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err. 
3. In arch., specifically (a) The lowest mem- 
ber of a wall, either projecting beyond the 
face of the portion of the wall above it, or dif- 
fering otherwise from it in construction, and 
often resting on a plinth, with or without in- 
tervening moldings. (6) The member on which 
3 4 
Bases. 
I, from nave of Lyons cathedral, I3th century ; a. from eastern porch 
of Hrechtheum, Athens. 5th century B. c. ; 3, from nave of Orvieto 
cathedral. i3th century. 4, Attic base: A, C, E. fillets; B, upper 
torus; Ascotia; F, lowertonis; G, plinth, orstylobate. 
the shaft rests in columns of nearly all styles. 
It appears in most Egyptian forms, but is not present in 
tlie Oreek Doric column, of which the shaft rests directly 
on the stylobate. In purely Hellenic examples of the 
Ionic and Corinthian the base consists of various combina- 
tions of moldings on a circular plan, without the awk- 
ward square plinth which was universally adopted by the 
Romans, and was generally retained in the elaborately 
molded bases of Byzantine and medieval architecture. 
See cut under column. 
4. (a) In zool. and bot., the extremity opposite 
to the apex; the point of attachment, or the 
part of an organ which is nearest its point of at- 
tachment : as, the base of a leaf ; the base of a 
shell. The point of attachment of an anther, 
however, is sometimes at the apex. (6) In zool., 
also, that part or extremity of anything by 
which it is attached to another of higher value 
or significance. 5. In chem., a compound sub- 
stance which unites with an acid to form a salt. 
The term is applied to the hydroxids of the metals, to cer- 
tain metallic oxids, and to groups of atoms containing one 
or more hydroxyl groups (OH) in which hydrogen is re- 
laceable by an acid radical. 
. In jthar., the principal ingredient of any 
compound preparation. 7. In crystal., same 
as basal plane (which see, under basal). 8. In 
petrog., the amorphous or isotropic portion of 
the ground-mass of a rock. This may possess a cer- 
tain amount of structure, rendering it distinct from glass, 
while not crystalline, when it is known as a micrqr'rl*itu- 
base. If a true glass, it may be, according to the amount 
of devitrification products present, murolitic, globulitic, or 
glassy. In some recent andesitic lavas it possesses a pe- 
culiar appearance, so similar to felt that it is known as a 
felt-like base. The terra mattma (which see) has also been 
used by some writers as equivalent to base. 
9. In dentistry, the setting for artificial teeth. 
10. In dyeing, a substance that has an affin- 
ity for both the cloth and the coloring matter : 
a mordant. 11. In fort., the exterior side of 
the polygon, or that imaginary line which is 
(brawn from the point or salient angle of one 
bastion to the point of the next. 12. In geom., 
the line or surface forming that part of a figure 
463 
on which it is supposed to stand; the side op- 
posite tO the apex. The base ,,r a hyperbola or a 
parabola is a line formed by the common intetse'tioti oi 
the secant plane and the ha.sc of the cone. 
13. In aritli. and />///, a number from the 
different powers of which all numbers are con- 
ceived as produced. The base of a system of ariib 
metical notation is a number the multiples ,,[ whose 
|ntwers are added together to express any number: thus, 
10 is the base of the decimal system of ' arithmetic. In 
the theory of numbers, the base of an index is a number 
which, bein^ raised to the power represented by the in- 
dex, gives a number congruent to the number w hose index 
is spoken of. The base of a system of logarithms is the 
number which, raised to the jtower indicated by the log- 
arithm, gives the number to which the logarithm belong*. 
The Napierian /., or base of the Napierian system of 
logarithms, is the number represented by the infinite 
series, 
1 + 1 + J + 2-j + s- + inrrE + 
It is 2.718281828459 + 
2.374 1533 
pl 
6 
14. In her,, the lower part of the field, the 
charges in which are said to be in bane, it is 
sometimes considered as divided into dexter, sinister, and 
middle base, and the charges arc bla/oncd accordingly. 
See dexti'i- and minister. 
15. Alilit. : (a) A tract of country protected by 
fortificatioiis, strong by natural advantages, or 
for any other reason comparatively secure, 
from which the operations ot an army proceed, 
or from which supplies are obtained: called 
distinctively the bane of operations or the base 
of supply. 
Bane, in military operations, is simply a secure starting- 
point, or rather tract of country behind, in which an 
army is in comparative safety, and in which the stores and 
reserves of men for the force are situated. Saturday Rev. 
(b) The rounded hinder portion of a gun, gen- 
erally called the base of the breech, (c) A small 
light cannon used in the sixteenth and seven- 
teenth centuries. 16. Inrc., same as base- 
line. 17. The place from which racers or tilt- 
ers start ; a starting-post. 
To their appointed bate they went. 
Dryden, vKneid, v. 
18. An old game, played in various ways, in 
some of which it is still practised, and in all of 
which there are certain spaces marked out, be- 
yond or off which any player is liable to be 
touched with the hand or struck with a ball by 
a player on the enemy's side. Forms of this game 
are known under the names of prisoners' base, rounders, 
and base-ball, under which last name it has become the 
national game of the United States. 
After a course at Barley-break or Base. 
B. Jonson, Sad Shepherd, i. 2. 
19. One of the spaces marked off in the game of 
base or prisoners' base. See 18. 20. In base- 
ball, one of the four corners of the diamond. 
See base-ball. 21. That part of an electro- 
magnetic apparatus which contains the helix, 
switch, and first and secondary binding-posts. 
Altern base, Attic base, etc. See the adjectives. 
Organic bases. See organic. Prisoners' base. See 
prisoner. To bid the or a baset, to challenge to a game 
of base, and hence, from the popularity of the game, to 
challenge to a trial of dexterity, skill, or strength, or to a 
trial of any kind ; challenge generally. 
To bid the wind a base he now prepares. 
Shak., Venus and Adonis, 1. SOU. 
We will find comfort, money, men, and friends, 
Ere long to bid the English king a bane. 
Marloice, Edw. II., ii. 
base- (bas), r. t. ; pret. and pp. based, ppr. bas- 
ing. [< base?, .] 1. To form a foundation 
for. [Bare.] 2. To use as a groundwork or 
foundation for; ground; found; establish: with 
on or upon : as, all sound paper currency must 
be based on coin or bullion ; he bases his argu- 
ments upon false premises. 
It is o/i the understanding, and not on the sentiment, of 
a nation that all safe legislation must lie based. 
Lowell, Study Windows, p. 165. 
base 3 (bas), . Another form of bass* and barse. 
[Local Eng. (Cumberland).] 
base-bag (bas'bag), H. In base-ball, one of the 
bags often used to mark first, second, and third 
base. 
base-ball (bas'bal'), . 1. A game of ball 
played by eighteen persons, nine on a side. A 
square plot of ground called the diamond, with sides 00 
feet long, is marked off, at the corners of which are the 
bases, known as home or home base (B), first base (D), sec- 
ond base (E), and third base (F). The players on one side 
take their positions in the Held, the catcher (A) just behind 
the home base, the pitcher (IT) at a distance of 50 feet from 
the home base on the line from home to second base, the 
three basemen near first, second, and third base, the short- 
gtop (U) between second and third, and three fielders, 
known as right (II), center (I), and left (J), at some dis- 
tance behind and on each side of the second base. The 
pitcher pitches the ball over the home plate to the catcher. 
< me of the other side, which is said to be in, or at the bat, 
takes a position by the home base, and tries to strike the 
ball as it passes him. If he knocks it into the air, anil one 
base-line 
of the other side catches it before it reaehc- the -round. 
the striker is mil or ,-.,,/.//,( ,,(, that is, retires from tie 
bat. and another takes his place, should the I 
oiit-ide the line from 
home to first or from J 
bom.' to third lia-e cou tf * ff 
tinned indefinitely, it is a . 
/<./// and does not count 
at all, unless it is caught 
before it touches the 
ground, in which ea.-e the 
-trikcr is out. Should it 
strike inside these lines. 
the hatter runs to first 
base, and then or later to 
second, third, and home 
base. If he reaches home 
base ho scores a /". 
Should the ball he thrown 
to and caught by a player 
standing on first base 
before the bait. : 
eeeds in reaching it, or 
should the batter he 
touched with the ball In 
the hands of any of his 
adversaries while running 
from one base to another. 
he is out. One player after another of the side which is 
"in" goes to the bat until three men have been put out. 
This constitutes an hmin'i. Nine innings for each side 
make a game, and that side which succeeds in makin- tic 
greater number of runs wins the irame. 
2. The ball with which this game is played. 
base-board (bas'bord), n. A line of boarding 
around the interior walls of a room, next to 
the floor, 
base-born (bas'born), o. Of base or low birth ; 
born out of wedlock ; of low or mean parentage 
or origin ; spurious. 
Thy base-born child, thy babe of sham.. (Jay. 
It is justly expected that they should bring forth a base- 
born issue of divinity. Milton, l>ef. of Humb. Kemonst. 
base-bred (baVbred), a. Of low or base breed- 
ing; mean; of discreditable origin. 
As little souls their base-bred fancies feed. J. Baillir. 
base-broom (bas'brom), n. A name given to 
Genista tinctoria, with reference to its low 
stature. 
base-burner (bas'ber-'ner), w. A stove or fur- 
nace constructed on the base-burning princi- 
ple. 
base-burning (bas'ber'ning), a. Burning at 
the base Base-burning furnace or stove, a fur- 
nace or stove in which the fuel burns at the bottom, and 
is renewed from a self-acting hopper or chamber above. 
base-court (bas'kort), n. 1. A secondary or 
inferior court or yard, generally at the back of 
a house, opposed to the chief court or main 
quadrangle ; a farm-yard. 2. In Eny. law, an 
inferior court of justice, but a court of record, 
as a court-baron, court-leet, etc. 
basedt (bast), a. [< bascl, n., + -erf 2 .] Wear- 
ing or clothed in a base or skirt. 
Based in lawny velvet. flail, Hen. VIII., an. . 
base-dance (bas'dans), n. A slow dance in J 
time, resembling the minuet. 
When the said Morris is doone, then the gentillmen to 
com unto the women and make their obeisaunce, and 
every of them to taike oon by thand, and daunce niche 
base daunce* as is apointed theym. 
Quoted in J. P. Collier's Eng. Drain. Poetry, I., notes. 
Basedow's disease. See disease. 
base-hearted (bas'liar'ted), a. Having a base, 
treacherous heart ; deceitful. 
baselardt. . Same as bastard. 
baseless (bas'les), a. [< 6ase2 + -less.'] With- 
out a base ; having no foundation or support. 
Like the baseless fabric of this vision, 
The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve ; 
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, 
Leave not a rack behind. Shak., Tempest, iv. 1. 
baselessness (bas'les-nes), . The quality of 
being baseless, or without foundation ; ground- 
lessness. 
The batflesmtts of this hypothesis has been shown. 
Encyc. Brit., XIII. 382. 
base-line (bas'lm), . 1. A line adopted as a 
base or foundation from which future opera- 
tions are carried on, or on which they depend 
or rest, (n) In jierspect., the bottom line of a picture, 
in which the foremost vertical plane of delineation cuts 
the ground-plane, on which the objects represented in 
the picture stand. (6) In rr., any measured line form- 
ing a side of a triangle, the adjacent angles of which beini; 
measured, the relative position of the third vertex is 
determined ; especially, in yeodetfi, a line measured with 
the utmost precision to serve as the origin of a system of 
triangles, and as the foundation for the computation of 
the length of their sides. In the process of triangulation, 
the angles of these triangles and the length of a single side 
(the base or base-line) being known, the lengths of all can 
be computed. In every great survey a number of base-lines 
are measured, each Wing from 3 to 10 miles In length. 
