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basal

basal

adjective bah-SAL Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Degree

Origin: From Latin basis (base) + the suffix -al.

Also means

fundamental

Usage Note

Basal describes something at the base or forming the base level. In medicine, metabolismo basal ('basal metabolic rate') is the most common collocation. In geology and biology, it denotes a foundational or ancestral position. The term is invariable for gender: el nivel basal / la capa basal. It is a technical register word rarely used in casual conversation.

Examples

"El médico midió su metabolismo basal."

Natural Translation

The doctor measured his basal metabolic rate.

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