基层

Foundation \Foun*da"tion\, n. [F. fondation, L. fundatio. See
{Found} to establish.]
1. The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to
erect.

2. That upon which anything is founded; that on which
anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest
and supporting layer of a superstructure; groundwork;
basis.

Behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone . .
. a precious corner stone, a sure foundation. --Is.
xxviii. 16.

The foundation of a free common wealth. --Motley.

3. (Arch.) The lowest and supporting part or member of a
wall, including the base course (see {Base course}
(a), under {Base}, n.) and footing courses; in a frame
house, the whole substructure of masonry.

4. A donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable
institution, and constituting a permanent fund; endowment.

He was entered on the foundation of Westminster.
--Macaulay.

5. That which is founded, or established by endowment; an
endowed institution or charity; as, the Ford Foundation.

Against the canon laws of our foundation. --Milton.

{Foundation course}. See {Base course}, under {Base}, n.

{Foundation muslin}, an open-worked gummed fabric used for
stiffening dresses, bonnets, etc.

{Foundation school}, in England, an endowed school.

{To be on a foundation}, to be entitled to a support from the
proceeds of an endowment, as a scholar or a fellow of a
college.

Base \Base\, n. [F. base, L. basis, fr. Gr. ba`sis a stepping,
step, a base, pedestal, fr. bai`nein to go, step, akin to E.
come. Cf. {Basis}, and see {Come}.]
1. The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that
on which something rests for support; the foundation; as,
the base of a statue. ``The base of mighty mountains.''
--Prescott.

2. Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the
essential principle; a groundwork.

3. (Arch.)
(a) The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when
treated as a separate feature, usually in projection,
or especially ornamented.
(b) The lower part of a complete architectural design, as
of a monument; also, the lower part of any elaborate
piece of furniture or decoration.

4. (Bot.) That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it
is attached to its support.

5. (Chem.) The positive, or non-acid component of a salt; a
substance which, combined with an acid, neutralizes the
latter and forms a salt; -- applied also to the hydroxides
of the positive elements or radicals, and to certain
organic bodies resembling them in their property of
forming salts with acids.

6. (Pharmacy) The chief ingredient in a compound.

7. (Dyeing) A substance used as a mordant. --Ure.

8. (Fort.) The exterior side of the polygon, or that
imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two
adjacent bastions.

9. (Geom.) The line or surface constituting that part of a
figure on which it is supposed to stand.

10. (Math.) The number from which a mathematical table is
constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms.

11. [See {Base} low.] A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.)
(a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice.
(b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base.
[Now commonly written {bass}.]

The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar.
--Dryden.

12. (Mil.) A place or tract of country, protected by
fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the
operations of an army proceed, forward movements are
made, supplies are furnished, etc.

13. (Mil.) The smallest kind of cannon. [Obs.]

14. (Zo["o]l.) That part of an organ by which it is attached
to another more central organ.

15. (Crystallog.) The basal plane of a crystal.

16. (Geol.) The ground mass of a rock, especially if not
distinctly crystalline.

17. (Her.) The lower part of the field. See {Escutcheon}.

18. The housing of a horse. [Obs.]

19. pl. A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but
sometimes of mailed armor) which hung from the middle to
about the knees, or lower. [Obs.]

20. The lower part of a robe or petticoat. [Obs.]

21. An apron. [Obs.] ``Bakers in their linen bases.''
--Marston.

22. The point or line from which a start is made; a starting
place or a goal in various games.

To their appointed base they went. --Dryden.

23. (Surv.) A line in a survey which, being accurately
determined in length and position, serves as the origin
from which to compute the distances and positions of any
points or objects connected with it by a system of
triangles. --Lyman.

24. A rustic play; -- called also {prisoner's base}, {prison
base}, or {bars}. ``To run the country base.'' --Shak.

25. (Baseball) Any one of the four bounds which mark the
circuit of the infield.

{Altern base}. See under {Altern}.

{Attic base}. (Arch.) See under {Attic}.

{Base course}. (Arch.)
(a) The first or lower course of a foundation wall, made
of large stones or a mass of concrete; -- called also
{foundation course}.
(b) The architectural member forming the transition
between the basement and the wall above.

{Base hit} (Baseball), a hit, by which the batsman, without
any error on the part of his opponents, is able to reach
the first base without being put out.

{Base line}.
(a) A main line taken as a base, as in surveying or in
military operations.
(b) A line traced round a cannon at the rear of the vent.


{Base plate}, the foundation plate of heavy machinery, as of
the steam engine; the bed plate.

{Base ring} (Ordnance), a projecting band of metal around the
breech, connected with the body of the gun by a concave
molding. --H. L. Scott.