fundament

American  

[fuhn-duh-muhnt] / ˈfʌn də mənt /

noun

1. the buttocks.

2. the anus.

3. a base or basic principle; underlying part; foundation.

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fundament British  

/ ˈfʌndəmənt /

noun

1. euphemistic the buttocks

2. the natural features of the earth's surface, unaltered by man

3. a base or foundation, esp of a building

4. a theory, principle, or underlying basis

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Etymology

Origin of fundament

1250–1300; < Latin fundāmentum foundation; replacing Middle English fondement < Old French. See found ¹, -ment

Example Sentences

But in the spring and autumn, it changes much more quickly, giving these seasons a more ephemeral feel that isn’t just in your head but rooted in our world’s deepest fundaments.

From Scientific American

Banks is at her least evasive in the introduction, where she argues that sociality is baked into the fundaments of life: “We may die alone but we were never born alone.”

From Washington Post

He said, “This is just another example of the BBC disappearing up its own fundament.”

From Washington Post

Not only did l’Hôpital explain the fundaments of calculus in his textbook, he also included some exciting new results.

From Literature

It could also be a sign that he realizes his posture toward Moscow is “not rooted on stable fundaments,” said Daniel Hegedus, a fellow for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund.

From Seattle Times