[ˈbeɪsəɫ], [ˈbeɪzəɫ]
- Basic, elementary; relating to, or forming, the base, or point of origin.
“This is the basal idea.”
“The organism needs more energy on basal maintenance.”
“A basal reader is a kind of book that is used to teach reading.”
- Associated with the base of an organism or structure.
“In the spring, basal leaves emerge from a stout taproot.”
- Of a minimal level that is necessary for maintaining the health or life of an organism.
- In a phylogenetic tree, being a group, or member of a group, which diverged earlier. The earliest clade to branch in a larger clade.
“Hittite is a basal Indo-European language.”
“A magnolia is a basal angiosperm.”
- base, bottom, minimum
- Any basal structure or part
Formsmore basal(comparative) · most basal(superlative) · basals(plural)
Source: Wiktionary