basement

American  

[beys-muhnt] / ˈbeɪs mənt /

noun

1. a story of a building, partly or wholly underground.

2. (in classical and Renaissance architecture) the portion of a building beneath the principal story, treated as a single compositional unit.

3. the lowermost portion of a structure.

4. the substructure of a columnar or arched construction.

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basement British  

/ ˈbeɪsmənt /

noun

1. 1. a partly or wholly underground storey of a building, esp the one immediately below the main floor Compare cellar

   2. ( as modifier )

      a basement flat

2. the foundation or substructure of a wall or building

3. geology a part of the earth's crust formed of hard igneous or metamorphic rock that lies beneath the cover of soft sedimentary rock, sediment, and soil

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Etymology

Origin of basement

First recorded in 1720–30; base ¹ + -ment

Example Sentences

The drawings seen by the newspaper suggest China intends to demolish and rebuild the outer basement wall of the chamber, directly beside the fibre-optic cables.

From BBC

The prosecutors have said they believe the fire started when people celebrating the New Year raised champagne bottles with sparklers attached, setting light to sound-insulating foam on the ceiling of the basement bar.

From BBC

The garden level features a guest suite, a powder room, and a basement with a gym, laundry, and storage.

From MarketWatch

The basement at St Mark's The National Bowel Hospital has a unique collection of tens of thousands of archived cancer samples.

From BBC

The band's first "official" album, Projector, arrived in October 2021, establishing their jagged, basement rock sound.

From BBC

Related Words

• cellar
• storage
• vault