Basis


the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests.
anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork.
the principal constituent; fundamental ingredient.
a basic fact, amount, standard, etc., used in making computations, reaching conclusions, or the like:
The nurse is paid on an hourly basis. He was chosen on the basis of his college grades.
Mathematics. a set of linearly independent elements of a given vector space having the property that every element of the space can be written as a linear combination of the elements of the set.
Contemporary Examples

I have no time to defend petty theives on the basis of ideology.
A Short Post About Jesse Jackson Jr Michael Tomasky February 19, 2013

Chris Matthews, now embraced by tout liberalisme, used to gut Clinton on a nightly basis.
The Right’s Scandal Hypocrisy Michael Tomasky May 20, 2013

He says he got the idea for the book simply by noticing patterns in the images he was looking on a daily basis.
Thirty Years of Tiffany Ads Isabel Wilkinson July 26, 2011

Abbas had long sought American recognition of the 1967 border as the basis for a peace agreement.
Obama’s Calculated Middle East Game: Can He Bring Peace? Dan Ephron May 19, 2011

But they provide no basis on which to doubt the raw numbers.
Obamacare Crosses the Finish Line Michael Tomasky March 30, 2014

Historical Examples

The work is to be commended on the basis of its value to the individual boy.
Our Schools in War Time—and After Arthur Davis Dean

He was not certain that the boy’s statement had any basis in fact.
K Mary Roberts Rinehart

They have formed the basis of the great improvements in the breeds in Great Britain.
Soil Culture J. H. Walden

So much for the basis upon which I propose that we shall work.
Roden’s Corner Henry Seton Merriman

I am still of opinion that our best way to reach them is from a Chinese basis.
James Gilmour of Mongolia James Gilmour

noun (pl) -ses (-siːz)
something that underlies, supports, or is essential to something else, esp an abstract idea
a principle on which something depends or from which something has issued
(maths) (of a vector space) a maximal set of linearly independent vectors, in terms of which all the elements of the space are uniquely expressible, and the number of which is the dimension of the space: the vectors x, y and z form a basis of the 3-dimensional space all members of which can be written as ax + by + cz
n.

1570s, “bottom or foundation (of something material),” from Latin basis “foundation,” from Greek basis “a step, stand, base, that whereon one stands,” from bainein “go, step” (see come). Transferred and figurative senses (of immaterial things) are from c.1600.

basis ba·sis (bā’sĭs)
n. pl. ba·ses (-sēz’)
The foundation upon which something, such as an anatomical part, rests.
basis
(bā’sĭs)
Plural bases (bā’sēz’)
A set of independent vectors whose linear combinations define a vector space, such as a reference frame used to establish a coordinate system.
see: on a first-name basis

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    a configuration of the speech tract that represents the most neutral articulatory configuration for a given language.

  • Basis point

    one hundredth of one percent, as of interest rates, or investment yields. noun a measure used for describing interest rates, equal to one hundredth of a percentage point (0.01%)

  • Basis weight

    the weight in pounds of a ream of paper of a basic size, usually 25 × 38 inches (63 × 96 cm) for book stock, 17 × 22 inches (43 × 55 cm) for writing stock, and 20 × 26 inches (50 × 66 cm) for cover stock.

  • Basis's

    the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests. anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork. the principal constituent; fundamental ingredient. a basic fact, amount, standard, etc., used in making computations, reaching conclusions, or the like: The nurse is paid on an hourly basis. He was chosen on […]

  • Basisphenoid

    basisphenoid basisphenoid ba·si·sphe·noid (bā’sĭ-sfē’noid’) adj. Of or relating to the base or body of the sphenoid bone. Relating to or being the independent center of ossification in the embryo that forms the posterior portion of the body of the sphenoid bone. Historical Examples The basi-occipital (fig. 93, 1) too is fused with the basisphenoid. The […]


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