noun
base
A chemical substance that can neutralize an acid.
The base reacts with the acid in the beaker.
Etymology
Greek basis meant a step or foundation. Early chemical usage treated a base as the underlying substance that combined with an acid to form a salt, giving the foundation image a technical sense.
More examples
- They compared several common bases.
- The solution became less acidic after the base was added.
- The experiment tested how much base was needed.
Forms
base · bases
Similar words
- alkali
- A water-soluble base.