bast

[ bast ]

/ bæst /

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noun

Botany. phloem.

Also called bast fiber. any of several strong, woody fibers, as flax, hemp, ramie, or jute, obtained from phloem tissue and used in the manufacture of woven goods and cordage.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of bast

before 900; Middle English; Old English bæst; cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse bast; perhaps ultimately cognate with Latin fascis bundle. See bass³

Words nearby bast

bass saxophone, bass staff, Bass Strait, bass viol, basswood, bast, basta, bastard, bastard amber, bastard culverin, bastard cut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bast in a sentence

Bast, it turns out, runs a bit of a side business involving favors for children done in exchange for secrets.
Inside George R.R. Martin’s New Book (Mild Buzzkill: Only One Story is Martin’s)|William O’Connor|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His entry takes the reader through a day of mischief with Bast, the somewhat mysterious creature from the Chronicles series.
Inside George R.R. Martin’s New Book (Mild Buzzkill: Only One Story is Martin’s)|William O’Connor|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Gluten sensitivity is the new kid on the block,” says Alice Bast, president of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.
When Going Gluten-Free Is Dangerous|Rachel Krantz|January 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Bast himself spent roughly $350,000 preparing for the end, but it does not have to be so expensive.
How to Prepare for December 21, 2012? Preppers Weigh In|Andrew Carter|December 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST

A talk with doomsday pro Robert Bast on how to get ready for the end.
How to Prepare for December 21, 2012? Preppers Weigh In|Andrew Carter|December 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In a kibitka covered with bast, drawn by three lean and sleepy nags, Raisky drove slowly to his estate.
The Precipice|Ivan Goncharov
On the bast they saw the rings all drawn, seven hundred, which the warrior owned.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson
The next day he filled his pouch with corn, put a bundle of bast-twine in his boat, and once more set off to the giant's dwelling.
Folk-Lore and Legends; Scandinavian|Various
Besides the linen, there is a great number of bast fibers fit for textile purposes, some superior, some inferior.
Textiles and Clothing|Kate Heintz Watson
The erection was completed by the casting across several strings of bast, weighted at the ends with stones, which kept all steady.
Cedar Creek|Elizabeth Hely Walshe

British Dictionary definitions for bast

bast

/ (bæst) /

noun

Also called: bass fibrous material obtained from the phloem of jute, hemp, flax, lime, etc, used for making rope, matting, etc

botany another name for phloem

Word Origin for bast

Old English bæst; related to Old Norse, Middle High German bast

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