baseborn

1. Born out of wedlock. "But see thy base - born child, thy babe of shame, Who, left by thee, upon our parish came."-Gay. 2. Of humble, though legitimate birth. "Better ten you sand base -born Cades miscarry Than you should stoop unto a French man's mercy." Shakesp.: 2 Henry VI ., iv. 8. 3. Mean. "Shamest thou not, knowing whence thou art extraught, To let thy tongue detect thy base - born heart?" Shakesp.: 3 Henry VI ., ii. 2. base-court, * base-courte, * ba e- courte, s. [In Fr. ba e - cour .] The court lower than another one in dignity; the outer court of a mansion, the servants' court, the back-yard, the farm-yard, the stable-yard. The form ba e - court is in Menage. "Into the base- court she dyd me then lede." Percy Reliques , i. 105. ( Boucher .) "My lord, in the base - court he doth attend, To speak with you."-Shakesp. Rich. II., iii. & * base-dance, * ba -daunce (0. Eng. & Scotch), s. [Fr. ba e - danse .] A kind of dance slow and formal in its motions, and probably in the minuet style; directly opposite to what is called the high dance. "It vas ane celest recreation to behald ther lycht lopene, galmouding, stendling bakuart and forduart, dans and base dances, pauuans, galyardis, turdions, braulis and branglis buffons vitht mony lycht dancis, the quhilk ar ouer prolixt to be rehersit."- -Compl . of Scotland , p. 102. (Jamie son.) 'Then came down the Lord Prince and the Ladye Cecill, and daunced two ba -daunces." -Append. to Leland's Coll., v. 361. ( Boucher .)