Forms: 4–7 bass, 5 baas, (Sc. baisse), bas, 5–7 basse, 6–7 bace, 5– base. [a. F. bas, fem. basse, cogn. with Pr. bas, It. basso:—late L. bassus, explained by Isidore, as ‘thick, fat,’ by Papias as ‘short, low’; found in cl. L. as a family cognomen. For the remoter etymology some suggest a Celtic source; others, including Diez, refer to Gr. βάσσων, compar. of βαθύς deep.]
I. Literal senses.
1. Low absolutely; of small height. arch.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 98. Her nase bass, her browes high.
1596. Spenser, F. Q. I. v. 31. An entraunce, darke and bace … Descends to hell.
1605. Shaks., Lucr., 664. The cedar stoops not to the base shrubs foot.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1876), I. iii. 56. A crowd of monks with base foreheads.
b. In Bot. denoting lowly growth; e.g., Base Broom, Base Rocket.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 667. Of base Broome or Woodwaren … called in Latine, Genista humilis: in Italian Cerretta: that is, lowe and base Broome.
1863. Prior, Plant-n., 15. Base-rocket, from its rocket-like leaves, and lowly growth.
† 2. Low comparatively; below its usual height.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xcix. [xcv.] 291. They founde the ryuer in suche a poynt, that in xxx. yeres before it was not so base. Ibid., cii. [xcviii.] 297. In wynter … the ryuers are but base and lowe.
† 3. Occupying a low position, low-lying; of lower situation than neighboring parts. Obs. Cf. BASE-COURT.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 20. Bace chambyr, camera bassa.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXVIII. iii. Alofte the basse toure foure ymages stode.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 33 b. When the basse or last gut issueth or is swollen.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. iv. 20. I see thy Glory, like a shooting Starre, Fall to the base Earth from the Firmament.
1644. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), App. 8/1. The base valleyes enjoy a calm in a gentle gale.
1851. Turner, Dom. Archit., I. i. 6. To construct a base-chamber with a fireplace.
† b. esp. geographically or topographically. Obs.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 45. He wanne … base Normandie.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 5. The base Almaignes do call it ‘alsene.’
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 210. Base Egypt watered … with Nilus.
a. 1628. F. Greville, Sidney (1652), 226. They took the base Towne … even to the gates of the High Towne.
4. Of sounds: Low, not loud; deep, BASS.
c. 1450. Merlin, xxviii. 572. He seide in bas voice: I am Monevall.
c. 1500. Partenay, 945. Ful gret mynstracy; Bothe hye and bas instrumentes sondry.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. ii. 50. Sad words with hollow voice and bace, Shee to the virgin sayd.
1833. Brewster, Nat. Magic, ix. 230. His ears were insensible to all sounds below F, marked by the base cliff.
† 5. Deep-colored, dark. Also adverbially. Obs.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helth (1541), 87. Urine base redde, lyke to bole armenake.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health, i. (1636), 8. That [urine] which is well colored not too high or base.
[1588. Shaks., Tit. A., IV. ii. 72. Is black so base a hue?]
II. Figurative senses.
6. Low in the social scale, of lowly condition, plebeian; belonging to the ‘lower orders.’ arch.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xi. 42. They whiche ben borne of basse parentage.
c. 1500. Partenay, 523. If any you demaunde, hie other bas, Of your said lord.
1534. More, On the Passion, Wks. 1289/2. To the keeping of hym from synne … a more base estate was better.
1602. Fulbecke, Pandectes, 47. Hauing singled the most noble, did kill the baser prisoners.
1741–3. Wesley, Jrnl. (1749), 42. Many of the baser people would fain have interrupted.
† b. To bring base: to bring low. Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, V. xi. (1554), 130 b. The noblesse of Grece was brought baas.
a. 1528. Skelton, Image Hypocr., III. 430. This were a hevy case To se you brought so base To play without a place.
1550. Scot. Poems 16th C. (1801), II. 195. Quhen say weill at sumtimes sall be brought base, Do weill sall triumph in euery place.
7. Illegitimate, bastard. ? Obs. exc. in BASE-BORN.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 430. His base brother, Robert Maxwell.
1601. F. Godwin, Bps. of Eng., 189. In his youth he was wantonly giuen, and gate a base daughter.
1695. Kennett, Par. Antiq., ix. 124. Jeffery the Kings base son.
1755. in Wesley’s Wks. (1872), III. 342. Their wretched Minister told them … that ‘John Wesley was expelled the College for a base child.’
8. Low in natural rank, or in the scale of creation.
1534. More, On the Passion, Wks. 1324/1. A thing of more base nature then was the thing that was wont to be sacrificed to forefigure it.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 69. Ciuet is of a baser birth then Tarre, the verie vncleanly fluxe of a Cat.
1680. H. More, Apocal. Apoc., 127. The Wafer may happen to be eaten by base Vermine, such as Rats.
1775. Harris, Philos. Arrangem. (1841), 369. Providence has given to every animal, however base … a consciousness of this want [of food].
1853. Kingsley, Hypatia, iv. 43. She might sacrifice the base body, and ennoble the soul by the self-sacrifice.
9. Low in the moral scale; without dignity of sentiment; reprehensibly cowardly or selfish, despicably mean; opposed to high-minded: a. of persons.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., I. i. 178. Base, fearefull, and despayring Henry.
1675. Dryden, Aurengz., I. i. 248. Hast thou been never base? Did Love ne’er bend Thy frailer Virtue, to betray thy Friend?
1771. Junius Lett., xlix. 253. I … call you the meanest and basest fellow in the kingdom.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 98. He offered Rochester a simple choice, to pronounce the Bishop guilty, or to quit the Treasury. Rochester was base enough to yield.
b. of actions, habits, thoughts, etc.
a. 1535. More, Wks., 361 (R.). Such a base foule fleshly liuing.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 24. On with a fresh courradge, and bace thoghts fearful abandon.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, V. vi. § 6 II. 642. A most base piece of flatterie.
1780. Burke, Let. T. Burgh, Wks. IX. 250. A market-overt for legalizing a base traffick of Votes and Pensions.
1852. McCulloch, Taxation, I. iv. 121. Their most upright decisions may be … ascribed to the basest motives.
10. Befitting an inferior person or thing; degraded or degrading, unworthy, menial.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. The guttes and other partes of baser seruice.
1602. Shaks., Ham., V. i. 223. To what base vses we may returne Horatio.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 106. Better fitted for merchandize and other base occupations than for Chivalrie.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Luke xv. 15. Foolish sinners will submit to the basest servitude, and be attendants of swine.
11. Law. Servile, as opposed to free. Base tenure, estate, or fee: orig. tenure, not by ‘free’ or military service, but by base service, such as a ‘villain’ owed to his lord; later, since this was tenure at the mere will of the lord, applied to such tenure in fee simple as may determine on the fulfilment of a contingent qualification or limitation. So base-tenant. See also BASE-COURT.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 14. These maner of copye holders haue an estate of enherytaunce, after the custome of the maner, yet haue they no franke tenement … and therfore they be called tenantes of base tenure.
1607. Cowell, Interpr., s.v., Base tenants be they which do to their lords villeinous service.
1741. T. Robinson, Gavelkind, v. 45. As well to free Socage as base.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., II. 61. Base services … as to plough the lord’s land, to make his hedges.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 589. English liberty would thenceforth be held by a base tenure. It would be, not, as heretofore, an immemorial inheritance.
1876. Digby, Real Prop., iv. § 3. 189. An estate in fee which was thus liable to be defeated was called in later times a base fee.
† 12. Of price: Low, cheap. Obs. rare.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. 164. As base prices as is possible. Ibid., 239. They … sell them at most vile and base prices.
13. Of inferior quality; mean, paltry, common, poor, shabby.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., III. 274. He may yet sustaine his body with bacer foode.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 157. This old house … may now seeme but a base Barn in your eie.
1607. Rowlands, Diog. Lanth., 5. Base is thy attyre, as thrid-bare in thy apparel as my Gowne.
1785. Cowper, Task, I. 50. The rest … content With base materials, sat on well-tann’d hides.
1849. Ruskin, Sev. Lamps, vi. § 18. 180. The cheapest and basest imitation which can escape detection.
b. Of language: Not classical, debased.
1549. Olde, Erasm. Par. Thess., Ded. A translacion of basse kinde of thenglish phrase.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 44. Base is the style, and matter meane withall.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. 125 (in Webster). As if an University were disgraced with honourable Priviledges granted unto it in base Latine.
Mod. ‘Of very base Latinity.’
14. Of comparatively little value, worthless. Base metals: those not classed as noble or precious.
1607. Shaks., Timon, III. iii. 6. They haue all bin touch’d, and found Base-Mettle.
1613. Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), 23. A base Myne where there is Ore, shall be the Kings for the worthinesse of the Ore.
1684. Contempl. State Man, II. i. (1699), 133. All Temporal things are in themselves little and bass.
1702. Addison, Dial. Medals, iii. 145. Coins … made of your baser sorts of metal.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Base metals. See Noble metals.
15. Alloyed with less valuable metal; debased, counterfeit.
a. 1528. Skelton, Vox Populi, VIII. vi. 9. The coyne yt is so scante … But even as much to base.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Argent, Silver … twelue grains baser than Argent le Roy.
1725. Swift, Wood the Ironm., Wks. 1755, IV. I. 66. They search’d his pockets on the place, And found his copper all was base.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 215. Persons who refused the base money were arrested.
16. Comb. a. adverbially with pa. pple., as in base-begged, -begot, -bred, BASE-BORN; also base-like adj., seeming base. b. parasynthetic deriv., as base-hearted, -mettled, -spirited, -witted, BASE-MINDED; and deriv. from these, as base-heartedly, base-spiritedness.
a. 1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., To Bk. If that any aske thy name, Say, thou wert base-begot.
1600. Gowrie’s Conspir., in Harl. Misc. (1793), 190. Recountred a base-like fellow, vnknowne to him.
1609. Daniel, Civ. War (1717), II. 22. Prolongs this not long base-begg’d Breath.
1676. Pasquil & Kath., IV. 120. Whose verie eyes will blaze His base-bred spirit.
b. 1547. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 422. Every silly soul and base-witted man.
a. 1683. Oldham, Wks. & Rem. (1685), 10. To rein, and curb base-mettled Hereticks.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), VII. lxxxi. 338. His generous confessions taken for a mark of base-spiritedness.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., 391. Thy stupidities and grovelling baseheartedness.
B. quasi-adv.; cf. ‘high and low’; OF. en haut et en bas completely. See also A 6.
c. 1500. Partenay, 927. Ther fair chapel … Wel apparailled it was, hie and bas.
C. absol. quasi-sb. Cf. BAST sb.2
† 1. Bastard. Obs.
1592. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 18. Base to a King addes title of more State, Than Knights begotten, though legitimate.
1602. Paris, Reg. Roxwell, Essex, 8 June. Agnes, the base of Maudlin Wonner. Ibid. (1624), 18 July. Richardus, the base of Dominici Godstret.
† 2. Bastardy. Obs. (? error for bast.)
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xviii. Children … begot in base.
