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Definition of base noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

base

noun
 OPAL W
 
/beɪs/
 
/beɪs/
Idioms
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    lowest part

  1.  
     [countable, usually singular] the lowest part of something, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands
    • The lamp has a heavy base.
    • the base of a column/glass
    • at the base of something He felt a sharp pain at the base of his spine.
    Homophones base | bassbase   bass
     
    /beɪs/
     
    /beɪs/
    • base noun
      • Cut the stalks at their base.
    • base verb
      • The government is to base its decision on the results of these trials.
    • base adjective
      • The trolls typify all that is base and ugly in human nature.
    • bass noun
      • This song is all treble and no bass.
    • bass adjective
      • His powerful bass voice contributed much to the film.
    Synonyms bottombottombase ▪ foundation ▪ footThese are all words for the lowest part of something.bottom [usually sing.] the lowest part of something:
    • Footnotes are given at the bottom of each page.
    • I waited for them at the bottom of the hill.
    base [usually sing.] the lowest part of something, especially the part or surface on which it rests or stands:
    • The lamp has a heavy base.
    foundation [usually pl.] a layer of stone, concrete, etc. that forms the solid underground base of a building:
    • to lay the foundations of the new school
    foot [sing.] the lowest part of something:
    • At the foot of the stairs she turned to face him.
     bottom or foot?Foot is used to talk about a limited number of things: it is used most often with tree, hill/​mountain, steps/​stairs and page. Bottom can be used to talk about a much wider range of things, including those mentioned above for foot. Foot is generally used in more literary contexts.Patterns
    • at/​near/​towards the bottom/​base/​foot of something
    • on the bottom/​base of something
    • (a) firm/​solid/​strong base/​foundation(s)
    Extra Examples
    • The statue has a solid concrete base.
    • Four bronze lions stand at the base of the column.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • firm
    • solid
    • strong
    • …
    verb + base
    • have
    See full entry
    2.

    main place

  2.  
     [countable] the main place where you live or stay or where a business operates from
    • I spend a lot of time in Britain but Paris is still my base.
    • base for doing something The town is an ideal base for touring the area.
    • base for something The organization is looking for a permanent base for its operations.
    • as a base You can use our apartment as a base in New York.
    • The company has its base in New York, and branch offices all over the world.
    • The company has set up its new base in the north.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • excellent
    • ideal
    • perfect
    • …
    verb + base
    • have
    • establish
    • set up
    • …
    base + noun
    • camp
    preposition
    • base for
    See full entry
    3.

    of army, etc.

  3.  
     [countable, uncountable] a place where an army, a navy, etc. operates from
    • a military/naval base
    • an air base
    • After the attack, they returned to base.
    • The UN forces headed back to base.
    Wordfinder
    Extra Examples
    • Demonstrators demanded the removal of foreign bases.
    • The Americans established a naval base on the island in the 1960s.
    Topics War and conflictb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • foreign
    • air
    • air-force
    • …
    verb + base
    • have
    • build
    • establish
    • …
    preposition
    • at a/​the base
    • on a/​the base
    • to (the) base
    • …
    See full entry
    4.

    of support/income/power

  4.  
     [countable, usually singular] the people, activity, etc. from which somebody/something gets most of their support, income, power, etc.
    • These policies have a broad base of support.
    • We once had an economy with a solid manufacturing base.
    • By broadening the tax base (= increasing the number of people who pay taxes) he could raise more revenue.
    • We have developed a strong client base.
    • This course is an opportunity to expand my knowledge base
    • The country has a sound commercial base.
    see also asset base, customer base, fan base, power base
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • solid
    • sound
    • broad
    • …
    verb + base
    • create
    • form
    • have
    • …
    base + verb
    • grow
    • shrink
    See full entry
  5. (especially North American English)
    (British English usually basic)
    base pay/salary/wage the pay that you get before anything extra is added
    • All we got was base pay—we didn't reach profitability levels to award a bonus.
    6.

    original idea/situation

  6. [countable] an idea, a fact, a situation, etc. from which something is developed synonym basis
    • She used her family's history as a base for her novel.
    • His arguments have a sound economic base.
    • These policies give us a solid base for winning the next election.
    Synonyms basisbasisfoundation ▪ baseThese are all words for the ideas or facts that something is based on.basis [usually sing.] a principle, an idea or a fact that supports something and that it can develop from:
    • This article will form the basis for our discussion.
    foundation [C, U] a principle, an idea or a fact that supports something and that it develops from:
    • Respect and friendship provide a solid foundation for marriage.
    • The rumour is totally without foundation (= is not based on any facts).
     basis or foundation?Foundation is often used to talk about larger or more important things than basis: He laid the foundations of Japan’s modern economy. • These figures formed the basis of their pay claim. base [usually sing.] an idea, a fact or a situation from which something is developed:
    • His arguments have a sound economic base.
    Patterns
    • a/​the basis/​foundation/​base for/​of something
    • a secure/​solid/​sound/​strong/​weak basis/​foundation/​base
    • to form the basis/​foundation/​base of something
    • to be without basis/​foundation
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • firm
    • secure
    • solid
    • …
    verb + base
    • form
    • have
    • establish
    • …
    preposition
    • base for
    See full entry
    7.

    first/main substance

  7. [countable, usually singular] the first or main part of a substance to which other things are added
    • a drink with a rum base
    • Put some moisturizer on as a base before applying your make-up.
    8.

    chemistry

  8. [countable] a chemical substance, for example an alkali, that can combine with an acid to form a salt

    9. mathematics

  9. [countable, usually singular] a number on which a system of counting and expressing numbers is built up, for example 10 in the decimal system and 2 in the binary system

    10. in baseball/rounders

  10. [countable] one of the four positions that a player must reach in order to score points see also first base, second base, third baseTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1
    11. see also database
    Word Originnoun Middle English: from Old French, from Latin basis ‘base, pedestal’, from Greek.
Idioms
cover all the bases
  1. to consider and deal with all the things that could happen or could be needed when you are arranging something
    • I am confident this contract covers all the bases.
not get to first base (with something/somebody)
  1. (informal, especially North American English) to fail to make a successful start in a project, relationship, etc.; to fail to get through the first stageTopics Difficulty and failurec2
off base
  1. (North American English, informal) completely wrong about something
    • If that's what you think, you're way off base.
touch base (with somebody)
  1. (informal) to make contact with somebody again
See base in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee base in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: base

Nearby words

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