| Basanite | n. [ L. basanites lapis, Gr. ba`sanos the touchstone: cf. F. basanite. ] (Min.) Lydian stone, or black jasper, a variety of siliceous or flinty slate, of a grayish or bluish black color. It is employed to test the purity of gold, the amount of alloy being indicated by the color left on the stone when rubbed by the metal. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Basin | n. [ OF. bacin, F. bassin, LL. bacchinus, fr. bacca a water vessel, fr. L. bacca berry, in allusion to the round shape; or perh. fr. Celtic. Cf. Bac. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 1. A hollow vessel or dish, to hold water for washing, and for various other uses. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. The quantity contained in a basin. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. A hollow vessel, of various forms and materials, used in the arts or manufactures, as that used by glass grinders for forming concave glasses, by hatters for molding a hat into shape, etc. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. A hollow place containing water, as a pond, a dock for ships, a little bay. Pope [ 1913 Webster ] 5. (Physical Geog.) (a) A circular or oval valley, or depression of the surface of the ground, the lowest part of which is generally occupied by a lake, or traversed by a river. (b) The entire tract of country drained by a river, or sloping towards a sea or lake. [ 1913 Webster ] 6. (Geol.) An isolated or circumscribed formation, particularly where the strata dip inward, on all sides, toward a center; -- especially applied to the coal formations, called coal basins or coal fields. [ 1913 Webster ] |
