entry
base
/beɪs/foundation, starting point, or low-ranking quality
From Greek basis (step) + Late Latin bassus (low).
from Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourcefrom Old French bas "depth" (12c.)
+1 more sourceA base began as something remarkably physical: the place where your foot lands. Ancient Greek básis meant a step, and then the thing you stand on—a pedestal, a foundation, solid ground under human ambition. French carried one branch into English around 1300, while another bas, from Late Latin bassus, supplied the sense “low,” giving English a pair of identical-looking words with different family histories. That is why a building’s base, a military base, and first base all feel sturdily connected, while base metal and base motives suggest something low or inferior. In 1754, French chemist Guillaume-François Rouelle added the chemical sense for a substance that joins with an acid to form a salt; centuries later, baseball turned the old idea of a starting place into a diamond-shaped set of destinations. Whenever you say “back to base,” you are returning—linguistically, at least—to the place where your feet first touched the ground.
The Story
A base began as something remarkably physical: the place where your foot lands. Ancient Greek básis meant a step, and then the thing you stand on—a pedestal, a foundation, solid ground under human ambition. French carried one branch into English around 1300, while another bas, from Late Latin bassus, supplied the sense “low,” giving English a pair of identical-looking words with different family histories. That is why a building’s base, a military base, and first base all feel sturdily connected, while base metal and base motives suggest something low or inferior. In 1754, French chemist Guillaume-François Rouelle added the chemical sense for a substance that joins with an acid to form a salt; centuries later, baseball turned the old idea of a starting place into a diamond-shaped set of destinations. Whenever you say “back to base,” you are returning—linguistically, at least—to the place where your feet first touched the ground.
Modern Usage
In slang, “base” can refer to crack cocaine, especially freebase cocaine; baseball “bases” also form a euphemistic scale for sexual activity.
Popularized by: Wu-Tang Clan
Notable References
- Wu-Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.”
Kin & Kindred
From 'basis'·step, foundation, supporting base
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'bassus'·low, short, inferior
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Urban Dictionary
Wiktionary