Base fee

Base fee
Base Base (b[=a]s), a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. {Bass} a part in music.] 1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. [Archaic] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2. Low in place or position. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean. [Archaic] ``A peasant and base swain.'' --Bacon. [1913 Webster]

4. Illegitimate by birth; bastard. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]

Why bastard? wherefore base? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5. Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals. [1913 Webster]

6. Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion. [1913 Webster]

7. 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. [1913 Webster]

8. Not classical or correct. ``Base Latin.'' --Fuller. [1913 Webster]

9. Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin. [In this sense, commonly written {bass.}] [1913 Webster]

10. (Law) Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable; held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant. [1913 Webster]

{Base fee}, formerly, an estate held at the will of the lord; now, a qualified fee. See note under {Fee}, n., 4.

{Base metal}. See under {Metal}. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Dishonorable; worthless; ignoble; low-minded; infamous; sordid; degraded.

Usage: {Base}, {Vile}, {Mean}. These words, as expressing moral qualities, are here arranged in the order of their strength, the strongest being placed first. Base marks a high degree of moral turpitude; vile and mean denote, in different degrees, the lack of what is valuable or worthy of esteem. What is base excites our abhorrence; what is vile provokes our disgust or indignation; what is mean awakens contempt. Base is opposed to high-minded; vile, to noble; mean, to liberal or generous. Ingratitude is base; sycophancy is vile; undue compliances are mean. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • base fee — An interest in real property that has the potential to last forever, provided a specific contingency does not occur. Dictionary from West s Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005. base fee An interest in real pro …   Law dictionary

  • Base fee — In law, a base fee is a freehold estate of inheritance which is limited or qualified by the existence of certain conditions. In modern property law the commonest example of a base fee is an estate created by a tenant in tail, not in possession,… …   Wikipedia

  • base fee — noun or base fee simple Etymology: base (III) 1. : a determinable fee; broadly : a defeasible fee simple estate (as a conditional fee) 2. obsolet …   Useful english dictionary

  • base fee simple — noun see base fee …   Useful english dictionary

  • base fee — An estate in real property which has the possibility of enduring forever but which may be determined and put to an end without the aid of a conveyance by some act or event circumscribing its continuance or extent. An estate limited to a person… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • Base — (b[=a]s), a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. {Bass} a part in music.] 1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs. [Archaic]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Base metal — Base Base (b[=a]s), a. [OE. bass, F. bas, low, fr. LL. bassus thick, fat, short, humble; cf. L. Bassus, a proper name, and W. bas shallow. Cf. {Bass} a part in music.] 1. Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fee — n [Middle English, fief, from Old French fé fief, ultimately from a Germanic word akin to Old High German fehu cattle] 1: an inheritable freehold estate in real property; esp: fee simple compare leasehold; life estate at estate …   Law dictionary

  • Fee — (f[=e]), n. [OE. fe, feh, feoh, cattle, property, money, fief, AS. feoh cattle, property, money; the senses of property, money, arising from cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange or payment, property chiefly consisting of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fee estate — Fee Fee (f[=e]), n. [OE. fe, feh, feoh, cattle, property, money, fief, AS. feoh cattle, property, money; the senses of property, money, arising from cattle being used in early times as a medium of exchange or payment, property chiefly consisting… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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