installation from which a military force initiates operations; the attack wiped out our forward bases
[ Syn: base of operations ]
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
[ Syn: alkali ]
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
[ Syn: basis ]
(numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place; 10 is the radix of the decimal system
[ Syn: radix ]
the place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end
[ Syn: home ]
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
[ Syn: infrastructure ]
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'
lowest support of a structure; it was built on a base of solid rock; he stood at the foot of the tower
[ Syn: foundation , fundament , foot , groundwork , substructure , understructure ]
(electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector
a place that the runner must touch before scoring; he scrambled to get back to the bag
[ Syn: 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
[ Syn: floor ]
the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture
[ Syn: basis , foundation , fundament , groundwork , cornerstone ]
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)
[ Syn: nucleotide ]
base (n.)
serving as or forming a base; the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats
[ Syn: basal ]
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
[ Syn: immoral ]
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; chokd with ambition of the meaner sort- Shakespeare; something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
[ Syn: mean , meanspirited ]
illegitimate
[ Syn: baseborn ]
debased; not genuine; an attempt to eliminate the base coinage'