basal

[ bey-suhl, -zuhl ]
See synonyms for basal on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, at, or forming the base.

  2. forming a basis; fundamental; basic.

  1. Physiology.

    • indicating a standard low level of activity of an organism, as during total rest.

    • of an amount required to maintain this level.

  2. Medicine/Medical. serving to induce a preliminary or light anesthesia prior to total anesthetization.

Origin of basal

1
First recorded in 1820–30; base1 + -al1

Other words from basal

  • ba·sal·ly, adverb
  • pre·ba·sal, adjective

Words Nearby basal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use basal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for basal

basal

/ (ˈbeɪsəl) /


adjective
  1. at, of, or constituting a base

  2. of or constituting a foundation or basis; fundamental; essential

Derived forms of basal

  • basally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012