Bast

//bɑːst// adj, name, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Illegitimate, born out of wedlock. not-comparable, obsolete
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of Bastet. Egyptian, alt-of, alternative
Noun
  1. 1
    Inner bark of a tree from which rope is traditionally made. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    Bastardy, illegitimacy of birth. obsolete, uncountable
  3. 3
    (botany) tissue that conducts synthesized food substances (e.g., from leaves) to parts where needed; consists primarily of sieve tubes wordnet
  4. 4
    Fibre made from the phloem of certain plants (particularly the lime tree) and used for making ropes, cords and matting. countable, uncountable

    "[T]here would be seen his face, or that of his elder brother, peering down. A guttural sound, and the tip-tap of bast slippers beating the narrow wooden stairs, and he would stand before one without coat, a little bent, in leather apron, with sleeves turned back, blinking[…]"

  5. 5
    strong woody fibers obtained especially from the phloem of from various plants wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English bast, from Old English bæst (“bast, inner bark of trees from which ropes were made”), from Proto-West Germanic *bast, from Proto-Germanic *bastaz (“bast, rope”) (compare the Swedish bast, Dutch bast, German Bast), perhaps an alteration of Proto-Indo-European *bʰask-, *bʰasḱ- (“bundle”) (compare Middle Irish basc (“necklace”), Latin fascis (“bundle”), Albanian bashkë (“tied, linked”)).

Etymology 2

From Middle English bast, from a back-formation of Middle English bastard.

Etymology 3

From Middle English bast, from a back-formation of Middle English bastard.

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