1. (n.) The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect.

2. (n.) That upon which anything is founded; that on which anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest and supporting layer of a superstructure; groundwork; basis.

3. (n.) The lowest and supporting part or member of a wall, including the base course (see Base course (a), under Base, n.) and footing courses; in a frame house, the whole substructure of masonry.

4. (n.) A donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable institution, and constituting a permanent fund; endowment.

5. (n.) That which is founded, or established by endowment; an endowed institution or charity.

A a priori principle affirmation alpha anchorage appanage apriorism arrangement assertion assumed position assumption axiom basal base baseboard basement basic basic training basis bearing wall bed bedding bedrock beginning blast-off bottom briefing call categorical proposition cause cellar chassis clearing the decks clown white cold cream colonization commencement compact constitution cosmetics creation cutting edge dado data dawn dot dower dowry drugstore complexion edge effectuation endowment equipment establishment eye shadow eyebrow pencil familiarization first principles fixation fixing floor flooring flying start fond foot footing formation foundation cream foundational founding frame fresh start fundament fundamental good reason greasepaint ground grounds groundwork hand cream hand lotion hardpan hypothesis hypothesis ad hoc inauguration inception infrastructure initiation installation installment institute instituting institution investiture investment jointure jump-off keel kick-off leading edge legal jointure lemma lip rouge lipstick lodgment major premise makeready makeup making ready manufacture marriage portion mascara material basis materialization minor premise mobilization mooring mopboard mudpack nadir nail polish new departure oncoming onset opening organization organizing origin origination outbreak outset paint pavement peopling philosopheme philosophical proposition pillar planning plantation population portion position postulate postulation postulatum powder powder puff prearrangement preliminaries preliminary preliminary act preliminary step premise prep preparation preparatory study preparing prepping prerequisite presupposition pretreatment primary principle processing propaedeutic proposition propositional function provision puff purpose radical raison d'etre rationale readying realization reason rest right riprap rock rock bottom rouge rudiment running start seat send-off setting in motion setting-up settlement settling shoemold sill sole solid ground solid rock spadework square one start start-off starting point statement stereobate stylobate substance substratum substruction substructure sumption supposal take-off talcum talcum powder terra firma theorem thesis thirds toe tower training treatment trial truth table truth-function truth-value tryout underbuilding undercarriage undergirding underlying underpinning understruction understructure vanishing cream vanity case wainscot war paint warm-up warrant