Base vs Key - What's the difference?
base | key | Synonyms |
Something from which other things extend; a foundation.
# A supporting, lower or bottom component of a structure or object.
#* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=14 The starting point of a logical deduction or thought; basis.
A permanent structure for housing military personnel and material.
The place where decisions for an organization are made; headquarters.
(cooking, painting, pharmacy) A basic but essential component or ingredient.
A substance used as a mordant in dyeing.
(lb) Foundation: a cosmetic cream to make the face appear uniform.
(chemistry) Any of a class of generally water-soluble compounds, having bitter taste, that turn red litmus blue, and react with acids to form salts.
Important areas in games and sports.
# A safe zone in the children's games of tag and hide-and-go-seek.
# (baseball) One of the three places that a runner can stand without being subject to being tagged out.
(architecture) The lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.
(biology, biochemistry) A nucleotide's nucleobase in the context of a DNA or RNA biopolymer.
(botany) The end of a leaf, petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.
(electronics) The name of the controlling terminal of a bipolar transistor (BJT).
(geometry) The lowest side of a in a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.
(heraldiccharge) The lowest third of a shield or escutcheon.
(mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.
(mathematics) Alternative to radix.
(topology) The set of sets from which a topology is generated.
(topology) A topological space, looked at in relation to one of its covering spaces, fibrations, or bundles.
(cheerleading) A cheerleader who stays on the ground.
(linguistics) A morpheme (or morphemes) that serves as a basic foundation on which affixes can be attached.
(music)
* Dryden
(military, historical) The smallest kind of cannon.
(heraldry) The lower part of the field. See escutcheon.
The housing of a horse.
(historical, in the plural) A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mailed armour) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.
(obsolete) The lower part of a robe or petticoat.
(obsolete) An apron.
* Marston
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.
To give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.
*
To be located (at a particular place).
(obsolete) Low in height; short.
Low in place or position.
(obsolete) Of low value or degree.
* , II.3:
(archaic) Of low social standing or rank; vulgar, common.
* Francis Bacon
Morally reprehensible, immoral; cowardly.
* Robynson (More's Utopia)
* Milton
* {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
, title=
, chapter=1 Inferior; unworthy, of poor quality.
Designating those metals which are not classed as (precious) or (noble).
Alloyed with inferior metal; debased.
(obsolete) Of illegitimate birth; bastard.
* Shakespeare
Not classical or correct.
(legal) Not held by honourable service.
* Shakespeare
* 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.8:
An object designed to open and close a lock.
* , chapter=13
, title= An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.
A crucial step or requirement.
* (John Locke) (1632-1705)
* (1809-1892)
A guide explaining the symbols or terminology of a map or chart; a legend.
A guide to the correct answers of a worksheet or test.
(label) One of several small, usually square buttons on a typewriter or computer keyboard, mostly corresponding to text characters.
(label) One of a number of rectangular moving parts on a piano or musical keyboard, each causing a particular sound or note to be produced.
(label) One of various levers on a musical instrument used to select notes, such as a lever opening a hole on a woodwind.
(label) A hierarchical scale of musical notes on which a composition is based.
* 1881 , R.L. Stevenson, :
(label) The general pitch or tone of a sentence or utterance.
* (William Cowper) (1731-1800)
(label) An indehiscent, one-seeded fruit furnished with a wing, such as the fruit of the ash and maple; a samara.
(label) A manual electrical switching device primarily used for the transmission of Morse code.
(label) A piece of information (e.g. a passphrase) used to encode or decode a message or messages.
(label) A password restricting access to an IRC channel.
* 2000 , "Robert Erdec", Re: Help; mIRC32; unable to resolve server arnes.si'' (on newsgroup ''alt.irc.mirc )
(label) In a relational database, a field used as an index into another table (not necessarily unique).
(label) A value that uniquely identifies an entry in an associative array.
(label) The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line, the free-throw lane having formerly been narrower, giving the area the shape of a skeleton key hole.
(label) A series of logically organized groups of discriminating information which aims to allow the user to correctly identify a taxon.
(label) Kilogram (though this is more commonly shortened to kay ).
* 2010 , David J. Silas, Da Block (page 41)
(label) A piece of wood used as a wedge.
(label) The last board of a floor when laid down.
(label) A keystone.
That part of the plastering which is forced through between the laths and holds the rest in place.
(rail transport) A wooden support for a rail on the bullhead rail system.
(label) The object used to open or close a lock, often used as a heraldic charge.
Indispensable, supremely important.
* 2007 , Mark H. Moss, Shopping as an Entertainment Experience (page 46)
Important, salient.
* {{quote-book, year=2006, author=
, title=Internal Combustion
, chapter=2 * {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=September 29
, author=Jon Smith
, title=Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers
, work=BBC Sport
To fit (a lock) with a key.
To fit (pieces of a mechanical assembly) with a key to maintain the orientation between them.
To mark or indicate with a symbol indicating membership in a class.
* 1996 January, Garden Dsign Ideas , second printing, (Taunton Press), ISBN 1561580791, page 25,
* 2001 , Bruce M. Metzger, The Bible in Translation , ISBN 0801022827, page 87,
* 2002 , Karen Bromley, Stretching Students' Vocabulary , ISBN 0439288398, page 12,
* 2007 , Stephen Blake Mettee, Michelle Doland and Doris Hall, compilers, The American Directory of Writer's Guidelines , 6th ("2007–2008") edition, ISBN 1884956580, page 757,
(telegraphy and radio telegraphy) To depress (a telegraph key).
(radio) To operate (the transmitter switch of a two-way radio).
(computing) (more usually to key in ) To enter (information) by typing on a keyboard or keypad.
(colloquial) To vandalize (a car, etc.) by scratching with an implement such as a key.
To link (as one might do with a key or legend).
* 1960 , Richard L. Masland, "Classification of the Epilepsies", in Epilepsia , volume 1, page 516,
* '>citation
* '>citation
(intransitive, biology, chiefly, taxonomy) To be identified as a certain taxon when using a key.
To fasten or secure firmly; to fasten or tighten with keys or wedges.
Base is a synonym of key.
As an acronym base
is b'''uilding'', '''''a'''ntenna-tower'', '''''s'''pan'', '''''e arth .As a proper noun key is
.base
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) base, from (etyl) basis, from (etyl) .Noun
(en noun)citation, passage=Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall. Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime. Their bases were on a level with the pavement outside, a narrow way which was several feet lower than the road behind the house.}}
- (Ure)
- The logarithm to base 2 of 8 is 3.
- The trebles squeak for fear, the bases roar.
- bakers in their linen bases
- (Lyman)
Synonyms
* (chemical compound that will neutralize an acid) alkaliAntonyms
* (chemical compound that will neutralize an acid) acid * (end of a leaf) apexDerived terms
* air base * base bag * baseball * baseband * baseboard * base box * base-burner * base camp * base censor * base coat * base color/base colour * base course * base exchange * base hospital * baseless * baselevel * baseline * basely * base load * baseman * basement * base molding/base moulding * base out * base over apex * baseperson * baseplate * base-player * base-playing * base point * base port * base radio * base rate * base ring * baserunner/base runner * base-running/baserunning * base ship * base shoot * base squadron * base station * base-stealer * base-stealing * base substitution * base table * base unit * base wallah * basewoman * counterbase * cover one's bases * database * debase * first base * freebase * home base * knowledge base * leuco-base * make first base * moonbase * off base * on base * power base * prisoner's base, prisoners' base * second base * subbase * surbase * third base * wheelbaseVerb
(bas)- Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.
Derived terms
* -based * base onEtymology 2
From (etyl) bas, from .Adjective
(en-adj)- base shrubs
- (Shakespeare)
- (Shakespeare)
- If thou livest in paine and sorrow, thy base courage is the cause of it, To die there wanteth but will.
- a pleasant and base swain
- a cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind
- base ingratitude
citation, passage=“Mrs. Yule's chagrin and horror at what she called her son's base ingratitude knew no bounds ; at first it was even thought that she would never get over it.
- base''' coin; '''base bullion
- Why bastard? wherefore base ?
- base Latin
- (Fuller)
- the base tone of a violin
- A base''' estate is one held by services not honourable, or held by villenage. Such a tenure is called '''base''', or low, and the tenant is a '''base tenant.
Usage notes
* Said of fellows, motives, occupations, etc.Synonyms
* bad, vile, malicious, destructive, reprehensible, knavish, evilAntonyms
* likeable * desirable * admirable * nobleDerived terms
* base-born * base-bred * base coin * base estate * base fee * basely * base metal * base-minded * baseness * base-spirited * base tenant * base tenure * base-wittedEtymology 3
Probably a specific use of Etymology 1, above; perhaps also a development of the plural of (bar).Noun
(-)- to run the country base
- So ran they all, as they had bene at bace , / They being chased that did others chase.
Etymology 4
Variant forms.Acronym
(Acronym) (head)Derived terms
* base jumper * base jumpingSee also
* (wikipedia "base") *External links
* *Anagrams
* * 1000 English basic words ----key
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) keye, kaye, . For the semantic development, note that medieval keys were simply long poles (ending in a hook) with which a crossbar obstructing a door from the inside could be removed from the outside, by lifting it through a hole in the door.Noun
(en noun)Mr. Pratt's Patients, passage=We tiptoed into the house, up the stairs and along the hall into the room where the Professor had been spending so much of his time. 'Twas locked, of course, but the Deacon man got a big bunch of keys out of his pocket and commenced to putter with the lock.}}
- Those who are accustomed to reason have got the true key of books.
- who keeps the keys of all the creeds
- A girl, it is true, has always lived in a glass house among reproving relatives, whose word was law; she has been bred up to sacrifice her judgments and take the key submissively from dear papa; and it is wonderful how swiftly she can change her tune into the husband's.
- You fall at once into a lower key .
- if you know someone who is in the channel, you can query them and ask for the key .
- So starting with ten keys' of cocaine and two ' keys of heroin, Derrick put his plan in motion. Soon every major drug dealer and gang chief from Chicago Avenue to Evanston was in his pocket.
Derived terms
(Derived terms) * candidate key * card key * church key * foreign key * keyboard * keycard * key card * keychain, key chain * key fob, keyfob * keyhole * keynote * keypad * keyring, key ring * key signature * keystone * keystroke * keyword * major key * minor key * Morse key * primary key * public-key cryptography * skeleton key * unique keySee also
* clef * scale * (wikipedia "key") *Adjective
(en adjective)- He is the key player on his soccer team.
- Lukas intimates that one of Disney's key attractions was "Main Street USA,” which "mimicked a downtown business district just as Southdale" had done.
- She makes several key points.
citation, passage=Throughout the 1500s, the populace roiled over a constellation of grievances of which the forest emerged as a key focal point. The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.}}
citation, page= , passage=With the north London derby to come at the weekend, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp opted to rest many of his key players, although he brought back Aaron Lennon after a month out through injury.}}
Usage notes
The first meaning is distinguished by the definite article, as seen in the quotations.Verb
(en verb)- So I worked on a tissue-paper copy of the perimeter plan, outlining groupings of plants of the same species and keying them with letters for the species.
- The volume closes with thirty pages of "Notes, critical and explanatory," in which Thomson provides seventy-six longer or shorter notes keyed to specific sections of the synopsis.
- Talk about similarities between the words and write them below to the left of the anchor, keying' them with a plus sign (+). Talk about the characteristics that set the words apart and list them below the box to the right, ' keying them with a tilde sign (~).
- Indicate the comparative value of each heading by keying it with a number in pencil, in the left margin, as follows:
- Our instructor told us to key in our user IDs.
- He keyed the car that had taken his parking spot.
- The American Heart Association has prepared their own guide to classification and, keying it with the Standard Nomenclature of Diseases , have done much to encourage a concise yet complete diagnosis.
- (Francis)