(usually plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
a popular programming language that is relatively easy to learn; an acronym for beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code; no longer in general use
of or denoting or of the nature of or containing a base
serving as a base or starting point; "a basic course in Russian"; "basic training for raw recruits"; "a set of basic tools"; "an introductory art course"
pertaining to or constituting a base or basis; "a basic fact"; "the basic ingredients"; "basic changes in public opinion occur because of changes in priorities"
reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible without loss of generality; "a basic story line"; "a canonical syllable pattern"
a base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base
existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual; "upon the hill stood a single tower"; "had but a single thought which was to escape"; "a single survivor"; "a single serving"; "a single lens"; "a single thickness"
used of flowers having usually only one row or whorl of petals; "single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may have more than one row of petals"
a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; "without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor"; "don't argue about shades of meaning"
(usually plural) a part of a fruit or vegetable that is pared or cut off; especially the skin or peel; "she could peel an apple with a single long paring"
a thin fragment or slice (especially of wood) that has been shaved from something
easy and not involved or complicated; "an elementary problem in statistics"; "elementary, my dear Watson"; "a simple game"; "found an uncomplicated solution to the problem"
of or being the essential or basic part; "an elementary need for love and nurturing"
the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations"
the first part or section of something; "`It was a dark and stormy night' is a hackneyed beginning for a story"
the event consisting of the start of something; "the beginning of the war"
the place where something begins, where it springs into being; "the Italian beginning of the Renaissance"; "Jupiter was the origin of the radiation"; "Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River"; "communism's Russian root"
the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her"
the act of firing weapons or artillery at an enemy; "hold your fire until you can see the whites of their eyes"; "they retreated in the face of withering enemy fire"
a fireplace in which a relatively small fire is burning; "they sat by the fire and talked"
intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak"
the event of something burning (often destructive); "they lost everything in the fire"
a severe trial; "he went through fire and damnation"
the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke; "fire was one of our ancestors' first discoveries"
once thought to be one of four elements composing the universe (Empedocles)
bake in a kiln so as to harden; "fire pottery"
cause to go off; "fire a gun"; "fire a bullet"
go off or discharge; "The gun fired"
drive out or away by or as if by fire; "The soldiers were fired"; "Surrender fires the cold skepticism"
terminate the employment of; "The boss fired his secretary today"; "The company terminated 25% of its workers"