Part 543

Bas"ket*ful (&?;), n.; pl. Basketfuls (&?;). As much as a basket will contain.

Bas"ket*ry (&?;), n. The art of making baskets; also, baskets, taken collectively.

Bask"ing shark` (&?;). (Zoöl.) One of the largest species of sharks (Cetorhinus maximus), so called from its habit of basking in the sun; the liver shark, or bone shark. It inhabits the northern seas of Europe and America, and grows to a length of more than forty feet. It is a harmless species.

Bas"net (&?;), n. Same as Bascinet.

||Ba*som`ma*toph"o*ra (b*sm`m*tf"*r), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ba`sis base + 'o`mma eye + fe`rein to bear.] (Zoöl.) A group of Pulmonifera having the eyes at the base of the tentacles, including the common pond snails.

Ba"son (b"s'n), n. A basin. [Obs. or Special form]

Basque (bsk), a. [F.] Pertaining to Biscay, its people, or their language.

Basque (bsk), n. [F.] 1. One of a race, of unknown origin, inhabiting a region on the Bay of Biscay in Spain and France.

2. The language spoken by the Basque people.

3. A part of a lady's dress, resembling a jacket with a short skirt; -- probably so called because this fashion of dress came from the Basques.

Basqu"ish (&?;), a. [F. Basque Biscayan: cf. G. Baskisch.] Pertaining to the country, people, or language of Biscay; Basque [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Bas`-re*lief" (&?;), n. [F. bas- relief; bas low + relief raised work, relever to raise: cf. It. bassorilievo.] Low relief; sculpture, the figures of which project less than half of their true proportions; -- called also bass-relief and basso-rilievo. See Alto- rilievo.

Bass (bs), n.; pl. Bass, and sometimes Basses (- z). [A corruption of barse.] (Zoöl.) 1. An edible, spiny-finned fish, esp. of the genera Roccus, Labrax, and related genera. There are many species.

The common European bass is Labrax lupus. American species are: the striped bass (Roccus lineatus); white or silver bass of the lakes (R. chrysops); brass or yellow bass (R. interruptus).

2. The two American fresh-water species of black bass (genus Micropterus). See Black bass.

3. Species of Serranus, the sea bass and rock bass. See Sea bass.

4. The southern, red, or channel bass (Sciæna ocellata). See Redfish.

The name is also applied to many other fishes. See Calico bass, under Calico.

Bass, n. [A corruption of bast.] 1. (Bot.) The linden or lime tree, sometimes wrongly called whitewood; also, its bark, which is used for making mats. See Bast.

2. (Pron. &?;) A hassock or thick mat.

Bass (&?;), n. [F. basse, fr. bas low. See Base, a.]

1. A bass, or deep, sound or tone.

2. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part in a musical composition. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, bass. [Written also base.]

Thorough bass. See Thorough bass.

Bass, a. Deep or grave in tone.

Bass clef (Mus.), the character placed at the beginning of the staff containing the bass part of a musical composition. [See Illust. under Clef.] -- Bass voice, a deep-sounding voice; a voice fitted for singing bass.

Bass, v. t. To sound in a deep tone. [R.] Shak.

{ Bas"sa (&?;), Bas*saw" } (&?;), n. See Bashaw.