basal adj

1 especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or stem; especially arising directly from the root or rootstock or a root-like stem; "basal placentation"; "radical leaves" [syn: radical] [ant: cauline]

2 serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats" [syn: base]

3 of primary importance; "basic truths" [syn: basic, primary]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪsəl, -eɪzəl

Adjective

1. Relating to, or forming, the base, or point of origin.
2. In a phylogenetic tree, being a group, or member of a group, which diverged early.

   Hittite is a basal Indo-European language.

   A magnolia is a basal angiosperm.

Derived terms

• basal metabolism

Basal is a term with several scientific meanings:

• A basal clade is one which forms an outgroup to a larger clade. As such the term is relative.
• Basal (medicine) refers to a type of insulin dosing.
• The basal ganglia are a region of the brain.
• The basal lamina is the surface on which epithelial cells are attached.
• An anatomical term of location, for features associated with the base of an organism or structure, such as the end of a sponge that adheres to its substrate.

other meanings:

• Basal, a village in Hungary

ab ovo, aboriginal, basic, basilar, beginning, bottom, bottommost, central, constituent, constitutive, crucial, elemental, elementary, embryonic, essential, foundational, fundamental, generative, genetic, germinal, gut, in embryo, in ovo, lowermost, lowest, material, nethermost, of the essence, original, pregnant, primal, primary, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, protogenic, radical, rudimental, rudimentary, seminal, substantial, substantive, underlying, undermost