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“Basal” or “Basil”

basal / basil are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term.

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Definitions

What each term means

Same sound, different spellings and meanings, shown with a pronunciation guide for each term.

basal b·EY·s·ah·l

  • adjectiveserving as or forming a base.
  • adjectiveof primary importance.

basil b·AE·z·ah·l

  • nounany of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum.
  • noun(Roman Catholic Church) the bishop of Caesarea who defended the Roman Catholic Church against the heresies of the 4th century; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-379).
  • nounleaves of the common basil; used fresh or dried.
Usage

Examples in context

Real sentences for each spelling. Hover an example to copy it.

“basal”

  • It is situated in the basal part of the insect's sting,…
  • Fibrillar appendages arise from the basal bodies.
  • …of the ovipositors sheath) and basal hamuli show it is more…
  • …temporal opening, as with more basal theropod dinosaurs, and the premaxillae…
  • …sixth flagellum emerges from a basal body the dorsal side of…
  • Confuciusornis shows a mix of basal and derived traits.
  • …dinosaur-like mode of growth in basal birds that was inferred by…
  • …mediated by circuits involving the basal ganglia.
  • The basal leaves are lanceolate; they are…
  • …bony sternum (breastbone), but more basal or "primitive" than modern birds…

“basil”

  • Basil Eugene Sinclair Collins, Deputy Chairman…
  • Basil Davenport Blackwell, Vice-Chairman and Chief…
  • …adaptations, often with libretti by Basil Hood.
  • …fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, made…
  • …to controversy in which William Basil Jones, Bishop of St. David's,…
  • Basil Edward Priest – for voluntary…
  • …United States and Canada by Basil Brooke his newspaper offered a…
  • Basil Blackshaw, artist, Royal Ulster Academy
  • …working with Chris Philippidis and Basil Hiley at Birkbeck College (London).
  • …out and was replaced by Basil Sydney.

Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions are drawn from WordNet.

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