base

noun
UK: /beɪs/
US: /beɪs/

  1. The bottom part of something; the part that supports the rest.

    1. The base of the lamp is made of metal. [ ] [ ]
    2. This building has a strong base to protect it from earthquakes. [ ] [ ]

  2. A place used as a center of operations by a military force or for an activity.

    1. The soldiers returned to their base. [ ] [ ]
    2. The research team established a base camp near the mountain's base. [ ] [ ]

  3. The main part of something, that other things are added to.

    1. Tomato sauce is the base for many pasta dishes. [ ] [ ]
    2. This cream will be a good base for your makeup today. [ ] [ ]

  4. In chemistry, a substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt.

    1. This solution is a strong base. [ ] [ ]
    2. Bases can neutralize acids as a chemical reaction. [ ] [ ]

  5. In baseball, one of the four corners of the diamond that a runner must reach to score.

    1. He ran to first base quickly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The runner slid into base just before he was tagged. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

bottom support foundation center headquarters rest establish ground
base verb

  1. To use something as the foundation or starting point for something else.

    1. The movie is based on a book. [ ] [ ]
    2. We base our opinions on facts or evidence we can prove. [ ] [ ]

  2. To have your main place of work or activity in a particular place.

    1. Our company is based in London. [ ] [ ]
    2. The scientists base their research here in the laboratory at the university. [ ] [ ]
base adjective

  1. Low in rank or importance.

    1. That was a base action. [ ] [ ]
    2. He was motivated by base desires rather than noble ones. [ ] [ ]
base adverb

  1. A place from which all operations are conducted.

    1. Let's return to base now. [ ] [ ]
    2. All the agents were ordered back to base immediately when the alarm went off. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "base" in English means: The bottom part of something; the part that supports the rest., A place used as a center of operations by a military force or for an activity., The main part of something, that other things are added to., In chemistry, a substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt., In baseball, one of the four corners of the diamond that a runner must reach to score..

The phonetic transcription of "base" is /beɪs/ in British English and /beɪs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "base": bottom, support, foundation, center, headquarters, rest, establish, ground.

Example usage of "base": "The base of the lamp is made of metal.". More examples on the page.