Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BASE'-BORN, a. [base and born.]

1. Born out of wedlock. – Gay.
2. Born of low parentage.
3. Vile; mean. – Milton.

BASE'-COURT, n. [Fr. basse-cour. See Court.]

The back yard, opposed to the chief court in front of a house; the farm yard. – Shak.

BAS'ED, pp.

Reduced in value; founded.

BASE-HEART'ED, a.

Vile in heart.

BASE'LESS, a.

Without a base; having no foundation or support. The baseless fabric of a vision. – Shak. The fame how poor that swells our baseless pride. – Trumbull.

BASE'LY, adv.

1. In a base manner; meanly; dishonorably. – Dryden.
2. Illegitimately; in bastardy. – Knolles.

BASE'MENT, n.

1. In architecture, the ground floor, on which the order or columns which decorate the principal story are placed. – Encyc.
2. In modern architecture, a story below the level of the street.

BASE'-MIND-ED, a.

Of a low spirit or mind; mean. – Camden.

BASE-MIND'ED-LY, adv.

With a base mind.

BASE'-MIND-ED-NESS, n.

Meanness of spirit. – Sandys.

BASE'NESS, n.

1. Meanness; vileness; worthlessness. – Dryden.
2. Vileness of metal; the quality of being of little comparative value. – Swift.
3. Bastardy; illegitimacy of birth. – Shak.
4. Deepness of sound. – Bacon.

BASE'NET, n.

A helmet. – Spenser.

BASE-SOUL'ED, a.

Vile in soul.

BASE-SPIR'IT-ED, a.

Low in courage; mean; cowardly.

BASE'-STRING, n.

The lowest note. – Shak.

BASE'-VI-OL, n. [See Viol.]

A musical instrument, used for playing the base or gravest part.

BASH, v.i. [Heb. בוש, bosh, to be cast down, or confounded. Qu. D. verbaazen, to confound. See Abash.]

To be ashamed; to be confounded with shame. – Spenser.

BA-SHAW', n. [Ar. بَاشَا basha; Pers. pasha; Sp. baxa; It. bascia; Turk. basch, the head. Qu. D. baas, master, and the bassus of the Alemanni and Longobards, in the middle ages. This word is often written most absurdly pacha, both by the English and Americans.]

1. A title of honor in the Turkish dominions; appropriately, the title of the prime vizer, but given to viceroys or governors of provinces, and to generals and other men of distinction. The Turkish bashaws exercise an oppressive authority in their provinces. Hence,
2. A proud, tyrannical, overbearing man.

BASH'FUL, a. [See Bash and Abash.]

1. Properly, having a downcast look; hence, very modest.
2. Modest to excess; sheepish. – Shak.
3. Exciting shame.

BASH'FUL-LY, adv.

Very modestly; in a timorous manner.

BASH'FUL-NESS, n.

1. Excessive or extreme modesty; a quality of mind often visible in external appearance, as in blushing, a downcast look, confusion, &c.
2. Vicious or rustic shame. – Sidney.

BASH'LESS, a.

Shameless; unblushing. – Spenser.

BA'SIC, a.

Relating to a base; performing the office of a base in a salt.

BA'SI-FI-ER, n.

That which converts into a salifiable base.

BA'SI-FY, v.t.

To convert into a salifiable base.