Obs. exc. dial. Also 5–6 bace. [phonetic corruption of OE. bærs, BARSE, now BASS.] Earlier and dial. form of BASS sb.1, a fish.

1

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 20/2. Bace, fysche.

2

c. 1460.  J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1878), 167. Carpe, base, mylet, or trowt.

3

1513.  Bk. Keruynge, ibid., 281. Base, molet, roche, perche.

4

1611.  Cotgr., Bar, the fish called a Base.

5

1620.  Venner, Via Recta, iv. 74. The Base is in goodnesse of iuyce inferiour to the Mullet.

6

1724.  De Foe, etc., Tour Gt. Brit. (1769), III. 341. One Draught of Base has equalled a Cart-load.

7

1851.  Cumbld. Gloss., Base, a perch.

8