Base | Mean of base in English Dictionary

/ˈbeɪs/

• Noun
• the bottom or lowest part of something
1. The lamp has a heavy base.
2. He planted flowers around the stone's base.
3. Make sure the base of the stove rests evenly on the floor.
4. The climbers established a camp at the base of the mountain. = The climbers established a base camp.
5. Although I disagreed with the book's theoretical base [=basis, foundation], I couldn't really find fault with its logic.
6. The tour was informative, thanks to the guide's broad base of knowledge.
• something (such as a group of people or things) that provides support for a place, business, etc.
1. At one time paper mills were the industrial base for the region.
2. The economic base of the village is tourism. [=tourism is the most important part of the village's economy]
3. The company has a solid customer base. [=set of customers it can depend on]
4. The sport's fan base [=group of fans] is growing.
• a main ingredient to which other things are added to make something
1. The paint has a water base, not an oil base.
2. She uses chicken broth as the base of the soup.

• the main place in which a person works or lives or a business operates
1. He uses his home as the base for his accounting business.
2. The company's base is in London. = The company's base of operations is (in) London. [=the company's main offices are in London]
3. The band recently returned to its home base of Chicago after three months on tour.
• a place where a military force keeps supplies and where people in the military live and work
1. naval/military bases
2. the commander of the base = the base commander
3. The troops were ordered back to base.
• any one of the four places a runner must touch in order to score
1. He threw the ball to the wrong base.
2. There's a runner on base. [=there's a runner on first, second, or third base]
3. The batter reached base on an error by the shortstop.
• a chemical that reacts with an acid to form a salt
• a number on which a system for counting and calculating is established
1. Computers use a binary, or base 2, system, rather than the decimal, or base 10, system we usually use.
• to do or include everything that needs to be done or included
1. The book is sometimes confusing because the writer tries too hard to cover all the bases.
2. They reviewed the contract to make sure that it covered all the bases.
• not correct
1. Her study proves that the theory is off base.
2. It turns out that the estimates were way off base. [=very wrong]
• in an unprepared state
1. He was caught off base [=off guard] by the accusations. [=he was not prepared for the accusations]
• to cover all the bases
• to mention every subject or point that needs to be considered
1. She made sure that she touched all the bases in her report.
2. His opening remarks at the meeting touched all the bases.
• to meet and talk as a way of learning about recent news
1. Let's get together for lunch next week to touch base.
2. He attended the conference for a chance to touch base with other people in the computer industry.
• Verb
• to have a particular place as the main place where a person works or lives or where a business operates
1. They are going to base their new company in Seattle.
2. The company has based itself in London.
3. Our tour group based itself in a hotel in the heart of the city.
4. The company is based in London. [=the company's main offices are in London]
5. The band was based in Chicago until recently.
6. a London-based company
• to form, make, or develop (something, such as an opinion, decision, or calculation) by using (something, such as information) as a basis, starting point, etc.
1. You've based your opinion on faulty information. = Your opinion is based on faulty information. [=the information that you used to form your opinion is wrong]
2. The interest rate is based on credit history. [=credit history is used to determine the interest rate]
3. The story is based on real-life events. [=the story was developed from real-life events]
4. The island's economy is based on tourism.
• not honest or good
1. base motives
2. a base criminal
• having low quality and value
1. Iron is a base metal.