Basal \Ba"sal\, a.
   Relating to, or forming, the base.
   
[1913 Webster]


   {Basal cleavage}. See under {Cleavage}.

   {Basal plane} (Crystallog.), a plane parallel to the lateral
      or horizontal axis.
      
[1913 Webster]

basal
     adj 1: especially of leaves; located at the base of a plant or
            stem; especially arising directly from the root or
            rootstock or a root-like stem; "basal placentation";
            "radical leaves" [syn: {radical}] [ant: {cauline}]
     2: serving as or forming a base; "the painter applied a base
        coat followed by two finishing coats" [syn: {base}]
     3: of primary importance; "basic truths" [syn: {basic}, {primary}]

45 Moby Thesaurus words for "basal":
   ab ovo, aboriginal, basic, basilar, beginning, bottom, bottommost,
   central, constituent, constitutive, crucial, elemental, elementary,
   embryonic, essential, foundational, fundamental, generative,
   genetic, germinal, gut, in embryo, in ovo, lowermost, lowest,
   material, nethermost, of the essence, original, pregnant, primal,
   primary, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, protogenic,
   radical, rudimental, rudimentary, seminal, substantial,
   substantive, underlying, undermost