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BA·SIC or Ba·sic (bāsĭk)
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n.
A widely used programming language that is designed to be easy to learn.
[B(eginner's) A(ll-purpose) S(ymbolic) I(nstruction) C(ode).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 
ba·sic (bāsĭk)
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adj.
1. Of, relating to, or forming a base; fundamental: “Basic changes in public opinion often occur because of shifts in concerns and priorities” (Atlantic).
2. Of, being, or serving as a starting point or basis: a basic course in Russian; a set of basic woodworking tools.
3. Chemistry
a. Of or relating to a base.
b. Containing a base, especially in excess of acid.
c. Alkaline.
4. Geology Containing little silica, as certain igneous rocks.
5. Slang Unthinkingly or blandly conformist: “Even someone who looks really indie … can be basic if they are simply imitating others rather than thinking for themselves” (Chelsea Rickling).
n.
1. An essential, fundamental element or entity: the basics of math.
2. Basic training.
ba·sici·ty (-sĭsĭ-tē) n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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