base

base is a topic covered in the Taber's Medical Dictionary.

To view the entire topic, please or .

Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 24th Edition Online + App from F.A. Davis and Unbound Medicine. Find 75,000 medical and nursing definitions. Download to iPhone, iPad, and Android. Explore these free sample topics:

-- The first section of this topic is shown below --

(bās)

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.

[Fr. base, L. basis, fr Gr. basis, step, pedestal]

1. The lower or supporting part of anything. ANT: apex.
2. The principal substance in a mixture.
3. Any substance that combines with hydrogen ions (protons) or accepts hydrogen ions, e.g., a Bronsted base. Strong bases, e.g., sodium hydroxide or lye, are corrosive to human tissues. Whether an unknown chemical compound is a base or an acid may be determined by the color produced when it is added to a solution containing an indicator or by measurement of pH by an electrometer and suitable pH electrode.
SYN: SEE: alkali
SEE: acid; SEE: pH
4. A substance that can donate a pair of electrons; a Lewis base.
SEE: Lewis base
5. Vehicle (1).

-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please or --

(bās)

To hear audio pronunciation of this topic, purchase a subscription or log in.

[Fr. base, L. basis, fr Gr. basis, step, pedestal]

1. The lower or supporting part of anything. ANT: apex.
2. The principal substance in a mixture.
3. Any substance that combines with hydrogen ions (protons) or accepts hydrogen ions, e.g., a Bronsted base. Strong bases, e.g., sodium hydroxide or lye, are corrosive to human tissues. Whether an unknown chemical compound is a base or an acid may be determined by the color produced when it is added to a solution containing an indicator or by measurement of pH by an electrometer and suitable pH electrode.
SYN: SEE: alkali
SEE: acid; SEE: pH
4. A substance that can donate a pair of electrons; a Lewis base.
SEE: Lewis base
5. Vehicle (1).

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.