# basil

Pronunciation: US say "BAY-zuhl" /ˈbeɪ.zəl/; UK/AUS say "BAZ-uhl" /ˈbæz.əl/

## Noun

1. The aromatic leaves of the basil plant, used as a culinary herb to season food.
   - Simple: The sweet-smelling green leaves of a garden plant, added to food for flavor.
   - _Italian cooks fold fresh basil into pesto along with pine nuts and cheese._
   - _Thai cuisine uses basil quite differently from Mediterranean cooking._
2. A leafy garden plant of the species Ocimum basilicum, grown for its aromatic foliage.
   - Simple: A leafy plant that people grow to use in cooking.
   - _Basil grows best in warm weather with plenty of sunlight._
   - _Gardeners pinch back basil to encourage bushier growth._
3. Any species in the genus Ocimum apart from Ocimum basilicum.
   - Simple: Any of the other related plants in the same plant group as common basil.
   - _Holy basil is grown across South Asia for both cooking and religious use._
   - _Lemon basil has a citrus scent quite unlike the sweet basil used in pesto._
4. The bevel angle given to the edge of a joiner's tool when it is sharpened.
   - Simple: The slanted angle that the cutting edge of a woodworking tool is ground to.
   - _The cabinetmaker checked the basil on each chisel before starting work._
   - _Grinding too steep a basil can leave the edge prone to chipping._
6. Leather made from sheepskin tanned with bark.
   - Simple: A soft leather made from sheepskin that has been tanned with tree bark.
   - _The bookbinder favored basil for inexpensive bindings._
   - _Saddlers sometimes substituted basil where finer leather was too costly._

## Verb

5. To grind the edge of a cutting tool down to an acute angle.
   - Simple: To grind the edge of a tool down to a sharp angle.
   - _The joiner basils every new tool to an acute edge before fitting the handle._
   - _Apprentices learn to basil a chisel evenly across its width._

## Noun

7. An iron fetter locked around the ankle of a prisoner. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A metal ring locked around a prisoner's ankle to stop them escaping.
8. An early type of large cannon. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An old kind of large gun that fired heavy metal balls.
   - _The defenders trained their basil on the approaching fleet._
   - _A single basil guarded the narrow entrance to the bay._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–3** — It came through Middle and Old French from Medieval Latin basilicum, which came from Ancient Greek basilikón meaning "royal," from basileús "king." It is a doublet of basilic, basilicon, and basilicum.
**Meanings 4–5** — It is a variant of "bezel."
**Meaning 6** — It is a corruption of English basan, from French basane, from Late Latin basanium, from Arabic biṭāna meaning "lining."
**Meanings 7–8** — It comes from Old French basile meaning "basilisk."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/basil (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).