Inflected forms: pl. ba·ses (-sz) 1. A foundation upon which something rests. 2. The chief constituent; the fundamental ingredient: The basis for most liquids is water.3. The fundamental principle. 4. An underlying circumstance or condition: workers paid on a daily basis; friends who are on a first-name basis. See synonyms at base1.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Latin, from Greek. See gw- in Appendix I.
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