bedrock

American  

[bed-rok] / ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. Geology. unbroken solid rock, overlaid in most places by soil or rock fragments.

2. bottom layer; lowest stratum.

3. any firm foundation or basis.

   Technical courses will be founded on a bedrock of sound, general education so as to produce a well-rounded engineer.

4. the fundamental principles, as of a teaching, belief, or science.

   Let's strip away the cant and get down to bedrock.

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adjective

1. basic; fundamental.

bedrock British  

/ ˈbɛdˌrɒk /

noun

1. the solid unweathered rock that lies beneath the loose surface deposits of soil, alluvium, etc

2. basic principles or facts (esp in the phrase get down to bedrock )

3. the lowest point, level, or layer

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bedrock Scientific  

/ bĕd′rŏk′ /

1. The solid rock that lies beneath the soil and other loose material on the Earth's surface.

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Etymology

Origin of bedrock

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; bed + rock ¹

Example Sentences

High-profile love that ends in tragic death is, of course, a bedrock of storytelling, but this “Love Story” purports to have a higher calling.

From Los Angeles Times

Oil shale, or blaze as it is sometimes known in Scotland, is a material that was historically mined from the bedrock.

From BBC

It's become the legal bedrock of federal efforts to rein in emissions, especially in vehicles.

From BBC

"This organisation provides stability and predictability," she added, hailing that "in spite of all the knocks, it is still the bedrock for so much of world trade".

From Barron's

These icebergs scraped sediment from the bedrock beneath the ice and released it into the ocean as they drifted north and melted.

From Science Daily