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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.

; pl. Bass, and sometimes Basses. Etym: [A corruption of barse.] (Zoöl.)

The quantity of bread baked at one time.

The order of amphibians which includes the frogs and toads; the Anura. Sometimes the word is used in a wider sense as equivalent to Amphibia.

1. (Mil.) An engine used in ancient times to beat down the walls of besieged places.

The measuring of time by beating.

An inlet from the Gulf of Mexico, from a lake, or from a large river, sometimes sluggish, sometimes without perceptible movement except from tide and wind. [Southern U. S.] A dark slender thread of a bayou moves loiteringly northeastward into a swamp of huge cypresses. G. W. Cable.

n. She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. Latimer.

The act, power, or time of producing or giving birth; as, a tree in full bearing; a tree past bearing. [His mother] in travail of his bearing. R. of Gloucester.

on foot. -- To beat the wing, to flutter; to move with fluttering agitation. -- To beat time, to measure or regulate time in music by the motion of the hand or foot. -- To beat up, to attack suddenly; to alarm or disturb; as, to beat up an enemy's quarters.

A wingless, bloodsucking, hemipterous insect (Cimex Lectularius), sometimes infesting houses and especially beds. See Illustration in Appendix.

A sore on the back or hips caused by lying for a long time in bed.

sitic upon bees. -- Bee garden, a garden or inclosure to set beehives in ; an apiary. Mortimer. -- Bee glue, a soft, unctuous matter, with which bees cement the combs to the hives, and close up the cells; -- called also propolis. -- Bee hawk (Zoöl.), the honey buzzard. -- Bee killer (Zoöl.), a large two-winged fly…

Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; -- sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that. Before Abraham was, I am. John viii. 58. Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary. Swift.

By way of preparation, or preliminary; previously; aforetime. They may be taught beforehand the skill of speaking. Hooker.

he act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen. i. 1.

To cause the time of to pass without notice; to relieve the tedium or weariness of; to while away; to divert. Ballads . . . to beguile his incessant wayfaring. W. Irving.

A vow; a promise. [Obs.] The time is come that I should send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made. Paston.

Backward in time or order of succession; past. Forgetting those things which are behind. Phil. ii. 13.

Lifetime; mortal existence. [Obs.] Claudius, thou Wast follower of his fortunes in his being. Webster (1654).