Basement

[Fr. sou ba e ment.] ( Arch.) The lowest story of a building, forming the base of a private house or public edifice. Base/-mind'ed, a. Of a low spirit or mind; mean. Base'ne , n. The quality of being base; lowne of mind; worthle ne ; meanne . "Such is the power of that sweet pa ion, That it all sordid basene doth expel."-Spenser. Bashan, ( bā'shan.) (Anc. Geog.) A rich, hilly district, lying E. of the Jordan, and between the mountains of Hermon on the N., and those of Gilead and Ammon on the S. The country takes its name ("fat," "fruitful") from its soft and sandy soil. It is celebrated in Scripture for its stately oaks, fine breeds of cattle, and rich pasturage. Modern travellers describe the country as still abounding with verdant and fertile meadows, valleys traversed by refreshing streams, hills crowned with forests, and pastures offering an abundance to the flocks that wander through them. B. was a igned, after the conquest of Og and his people, to the half-tribe of Mana eh. From B. came the Greek name Batansea, in modern Arabic El - Botte in . But this latter only included its S. part. The ancient B. covered the Roman provinces named Gaulonites, Trachonites, A uranites, Batanæa, and Itursea.