Basque

[ bask ]

/ bæsk /

noun

one of a people of unknown origin inhabiting the western Pyrenees regions in France and Spain.

their language, not known to be related to any other language.

(lowercase) a close-fitting bodice, sometimes having an extension that covers the hips.

(lowercase) the extension of this bodice or of a doublet.

adjective

of or relating to the Basques or their language.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for basque

Late in the afternoon of April 26, 1937 waves of bombers obliterated the ancient capital of Basque Spain, Guernica.
Life Under Air Strikes: Children Under Fire Will Never Forget — or Forgive|Clive Irving|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hemingway and his first wife Hadley went from the Basque country to Pamplona over the Pyrenees by bus.
Is This Hemingway’s Pamplona or a Lot of Bull?|Clive Irving|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We were headed to the small port of St-Jean-de-Luz in the Basque country near the Spanish border.
Is This Hemingway’s Pamplona or a Lot of Bull?|Clive Irving|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Aznar jumped to conclusions, quickly blaming Basque separatist organization ETA for the al Qaeda attack.
French Police Mount a Massive Manhunt for Killer of 3 Children, Teacher|Tracy McNicoll|March 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I visited this restaurant when I was researching for my restaurant Tinto, which focuses on the cuisine of the Basque country.
Fresh Picks|Jose Garces|January 19, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He adored his Basque land, Ramuntcho,—and this morning was one of the times when this adoration penetrated him more profoundly.
Ramuntcho|Pierre Loti
There was much dissatisfaction over the enactment, and the Basque provinces went so far as to protest.
A History of Spain|Charles E. Chapman
The speech of the Basque country is first of all a langue, not a corrupted, mixed-up patois.
Castles and Chateaux of Old Navarre and the Basque Provinces|Francis Miltoun
The Basque sticks to his costume, a blending of Spanish and something unknown.
Castles and Chateaux of Old Navarre and the Basque Provinces|Francis Miltoun
Anna now turned to her aunt with a long breath, "I cannot make her understand," she said in Basque.
Rough-Hewn|Dorothy Canfield

British Dictionary definitions for basque

basque

/ (bæsk, bɑːsk) /

noun

a short extension below the waist to the bodice of a woman's jacket, etc

a tight-fitting bodice for women

Word Origin for basque

C19: perhaps from Basque

Basque

/ (bæsk, bɑːsk) /

noun

a member of a people of unknown origin living around the W Pyrenees in France and Spain

the language of this people, of no known relationship with any other language

adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of this people or their language

Word Origin for Basque

C19: from French, from Latin Vascō a Basque

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for basque

Basque

1817 (adj.), 1835 (n.), from French, from Spanish vasco (adj.), from vascon (n.), from Latin Vascones (Vasconia was the Roman name for the up-country of the western Pyrenees), said by von Humboldt to originally mean "foresters" but more likely a Latinized version of the people's name for themselves, euskara or eskuara.

This contains a basic element -sk- which is believed to relate to maritime people or sailors, and which is also found in the name of the Etruscans .... [Room, "Placenames of the World," 2006]

Earlier in English was Basquish (1610s, noun and adjective); Baskles (plural noun, late 14c.); Baskon (mid-15c.).