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To trade or exchange in the way of barter; to exchange (frequently for an unworthy consideration); to traffic; to truck; -- sometimes followed by away; as, to barter away goods or honor.

Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. "A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind." Robynson (More's Utopia). "Base ingratitude." Milton.

Vile; mean. "Thy baseborn heart." Shak.

A disease characterized by enlargement of the thyroid gland, prominence of the eyeballs, and inordinate action of the heart; -- called also exophthalmic goiter. Flint.

n cookery. The name is also given to several kinds of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum). Basil thyme, a name given to the fragrant herbs Calamintha Acinos and C. Nepeta. -- Wild basil, a plant (Calamintha clinopodium) of the Mint family.

of plaited osiers or twigs. -- Basket worm (Zoöl.), a lepidopterous insect of the genus Thyridopteryx and allied genera, esp. T. ephemeræformis. The larva makes and carries about a bag or basket-like case of silk and twigs, which it afterwards hangs up to shelter the pupa and wingless adult females.…

To remit or retrench a part; -- with of. Abate thy speed, and I will bate of mine. Dryden.

Obscenity; filthy, unchaste language. "The pert style of the pit bawdry." Steele.

Obscene; filthy; unchaste. "A bawdy story." Burke.

f on the beads of a chaplet; hence, a catalogue in general. On Fame's eternal beadroll worthy to be field. Spenser. It is quite startling, on going over the beadroll of English worthies, to find how few are directly represented in the male line. Quart. Rev.

To manage, wield, or direct. "Thus must thou thy body bear." Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison Shak.

Fig.: A coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow.

aracterizing the nature of a beast; contrary to the nature and dignity of man; brutal; filthy. The beastly vice of drinking to excess. Swift.

; to be congruous with; to befit; to accord with, in character or circumstances; to be worthy of, or proper for; to cause to appear well; -- said of persons and things. It becomes me so to speak of so excellent a poet. Dryden. I have known persons so anxious to have their dress become them, as to convert it, at length,…

To gnaw; to eat away; to corrode. The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul. Shak.

To give in trust; to commit; to intrust. The keys are to thy hand behight. Spenser.

H. Newman. (b) To believe that the character, abilities, and purposes of a person are worthy of entire confidence; -- especially that his promises are wholly trustworthy. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John xiv. 1. (c) To believe that the qualities or effects of an action or s…

That which belongs to one; that which pertains to one; hence, goods or effects. "Thyself and thy belongings." Shak.

Unworthy of; unbefitting; beneath. They beheld, with a just loathing and disdain, . . . how below all history the persons and their actions were. Milton. Who thinks no fact below his regard. Hallam.

an; as, brutes are beneath man; man is beneath angels in the scale of beings. Hence: Unworthy of; unbecoming. He will do nothing that is beneath his high station. Atterbury.