1the lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported:she sat down at the base of a tree
Architecture the part of a column between the shaft and pedestal or pavement.
Botany & Zoology the end at which a part or organ is attached to the trunk or main part:a shoot is produced at the base of the stem
Geometry a line or surface on which a figure is regarded as standing:the base of the triangle
Surveying a known line used as a geometrical base for trigonometry.
Heraldry the lowest part of a shield.
2a conceptual structure or entity on which something draws or depends:the town’s economic base collapsed
a foundation or starting point for further work:she uses existing data as the base for the study
[with modifier] a group of people regarded as supporting an organization, for example by buying its products:a customer base
3a place used as a centre of operations by the armed forces or others; a headquarters:he headed back to base
the main place where a person works or stays:she makes the studio her baseyour hotel is a good base from which to explore
4a main or important element or ingredient to which other things are added:soaps with a vegetable oil base
[mass noun] a substance into which a pigment is mixed to form paint, such as water, oil, or powdered aluminium hydroxide.
[mass noun] a substance used as a foundation for make-up:her make-up artist works with base, eye make-up, and lipstick
5 Chemistry a substance capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt and water, or (more broadly) of accepting or neutralizing hydrogen ions.Compare with acid and alkali.
Biochemistry a purine or pyrimidine group in a nucleotide or nucleic acid.
6 Electronics the middle part of a bipolar transistor, separating the emitter from the collector.
7 Linguistics the root or stem of a word or a derivative.
the uninflected form of a verb.
8 Mathematics a number used as the basis of a numeration scale.
a number in terms of which other numbers are expressed as logarithms.
9 Baseball each of the four stations that must be reached in turn to score a run.
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Universal
1 (base something on) use (something specified) as the foundation or starting point for something:the film is based on a novel by Pat Conroyentitlement will be based on income
2situate at a specified place as the centre of operations:the Science Policy Review Unit is based at the University of Sussex (as adjective, in combination -based)a London-based band
get to first base
[usually with negative] informal, chiefly North American achieve the first step towards one’s objective:he never got to first base in the litigation
off base
informal mistaken:the boy is way off base
touch base
informal briefly make or renew contact with someone:they are travelling back to Star City, where they plan to touch base with relatives
