baseline

Pluralbaselines

Formsbaselines, baselining, baselined

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A value, condition, or setup used as a starting point for measuring or comparing things.

   The nurse took my blood pressure to get a baseline.

   Last year's sales give us a baseline for this year.

   UsageYou set a baseline, then compare things against it.

   Similarbenchmark, reference, standard, yardstick

2. 2
   end mark (tennis)nouncountable

   The line at each end of a tennis court that shows where the playing area stops.

   The ball landed on the baseline, so the umpire called it in.

   He stood behind the baseline to return the serve.

   Note
3. 3
   surveyingnouncountable

   A line that you measure from or build from.

   The builder drew a baseline on the floor before laying the tiles.

   The builders marked a baseline and measured every wall from it.

4. 4
   record at startverbtransitive

   To set a starting point for measuring something later.

   We need to baseline the old system before we change anything.

   The lab baselined each machine on Monday morning.

   UsageOften is baselined: the plan was baselined in January.

   Note
5. 5
   verbintransitive

   To play tennis while staying back near the line at the end of the court.

   Note

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