DictionaryAI

basil

USBAY-zuhl/ˈbeɪ.zəl/AUSBAZ-uhl/ˈbæz.əl/

Pluralbasils (some meanings)

Verbbasils

8 meanings of basil

Practice

  1. 1
    noununcountable
    The sweet-smelling green leaves of a garden plant, added to food for flavor.

    Like mint or parsley: a leaf you add to food for flavor and smell.

    She tore some fresh basil over the warm pizza.

    This sauce needs a handful of chopped basil at the end.

  2. 2
    noununcountable
    A leafy plant that people grow to use in cooking.

    We planted basil along the garden fence this spring.

    The basil wilted after a week without water.

    Note
  3. 3
    noununcountable
    Any of the other related plants in the same plant group as common basil.

    Lemon basil smells a little like lemons when you rub its leaves.

    Some kinds of basil grow wild in hot countries.

  4. 4
    nouncountable
    The slanted angle that the cutting edge of a woodworking tool is ground to.

    Like the slanted edge on a kitchen knife: the angle sets how sharp it is.

    He ground the basil on the blade to a sharp slant.

    A wider basil makes the edge stronger but less sharp.

    Similarbevel

    Note
  5. 5
    verbtransitive
    To grind the edge of a tool down to a sharp angle.

    Basil the blade before you start carving.

    He carefully basils each chisel on the grindstone.

    Similarbevel

    Note
  6. 6
    noununcountable
    A soft leather made from sheepskin that has been tanned with tree bark.

    The old book was bound in soft red basil.

    They made cheap gloves from basil instead of calfskin.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    nounarchaichistorical
    A metal ring locked around a prisoner's ankle to stop them escaping.
    When I once more feel that sharp smarting around the scabby sores that cluster like so many oysters on my ankles beneath my chained iron basils, I know that the tide has turned.
    2001, Richard Flanagan, Gould's Book of FishHere, basils means iron rings locked around a prisoner's ankles.
    Note
  2. 8
    nounobsolete
    An old kind of large gun that fired heavy metal balls.

    The old fort still had a rusty basil on its wall.

    Soldiers fired the basil at the enemy ships.

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of basil apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–3

It came through French and Latin from a Greek word meaning "royal," from the Greek word for "king."

Meanings 4–5

It is a different form of the word "bezel."

Meaning 6

It comes from English "basan," which came through French and Latin from an Arabic word meaning "lining."

Meanings 7–8

It comes from an Old French word meaning "basilisk."