1. (a.) Relating to a base; performing the office of a base in a salt.

2. (a.) Having the base in excess, or the amount of the base atomically greater than that of the acid, or exceeding in proportion that of the related neutral salt.

3. (a.) Apparently alkaline, as certain normal salts which exhibit alkaline reactions with test paper.

4. (a.) Said of crystalline rocks which contain a relatively low percentage of silica, as basalt.

ab ovo aboriginal acid alkali austere bare basal basilar bedrock biochemical bottom capital central chaste chemical chemicobiological chemicoengineering chemicomineralogical chemicophysical chemurgic chief constituent constitutive copolymeric copolymerous crucial dimeric dimerous electrochemical element elemental elementary embryonic essential focal foundational fundamental generative genetic germinal gut heteromerous homely homespun homogeneous in embryo in ovo indispensable indivisible irreducible isomerous key life-and-death life-or-death macrochemical main material mere metameric monolithic monomerous nonacid of a piece of the essence of vital importance original part and parcel photochemical physicochemical phytochemical plain polymeric pregnant primal primary prime primeval primitive primordial principal pristine protogenic pure pure and simple radical radiochemical root rudiment rudimentary seminal severe simon-pure simple single spare stark substantial substantive thermochemical unadorned uncluttered underlying undifferenced undifferentiated uniform vital