Based and baste are two words that are pronounced in the same way, but are spelled differently and have two different meanings. They are homophones. We will examine the definitions of based and baste, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Based is the past tense of the verb base, which means to use something as a foundation or a starting point. Related words are bases and basing. The word base comes from the Old French word bas, meaning depth.
Baste has two main definitions. First, baste means to moisten meat or another food by pouring fat, butter, juice or drippings over it repeatedly. This use of the word probably came from the Old Norse word beysta which means to beat. The second definition of the word baste is to sew with long, loose stitches in order to temporarily tack two pieces of fabric together or to mark where the fabric. This use of the word baste came from the Old French word bastir which means to construct or to sew.
Examples
Based on his work in Congress, Vitter said he expects to focus on energy, transportation, banking, judiciary, military and small business issues. (The Washington Times)
Hawkeye Hotels, based in Coralville, recently acquired three “institutional-grade Hilton hotels” totaling 369 rooms in Texas, Alabama and Louisiana from Carey Watermark Investors for an undisclosed amount, according to a news release. (The Gazette)
The U.S. Air Force’s 20 Missouri-based B-2 stealth bombers will get $2.7 billion in upgrades over the next several years. (The Kansas City Star)
Once seared, add the pork to the saucepan skin-side DOWN and baste well with the sauce. (The Independent)
Using your machine’s zipper foot, which allows you to stitch close to the zipper teeth, baste the zipper tape to the seam allowance as shown. (Mother Earth News)