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basal
basal body
basal cell
basal cell carcinoma
basal ganglion
basal metabolic rate
basal metabolism
basal reader
basalt
basalt plateau
basaltware
basanite
bascule
base (1)
base (2)
base analogue
base burner
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basalt
ba·salt [ bə sáwlt, báy sàwlt ]


noun 
Definition:
 
1. black shiny volcanic rock: a hard, black, often glassy, volcanic rock. It was produced by the partial melting of the Earth's mantle.
2. black unglazed pottery: a hard black unglazed pottery
[Early 17th century. Via Latin basaltes, variant of basanites< Greek basanitēs "very hard stone, touchstone" < Egyptian bakhan "slate"]

ba·sal·tic [ bə sáwltik ] adjective
Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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