Basic \Ba"sic\, a.
   1. (Chem.)
      (a) Relating to a base; performing the office of a base in
          a salt.
      (b) Having the base in excess, or the amount of the base
          atomically greater than that of the acid, or exceeding
          in proportion that of the related neutral salt.
      (c) Apparently alkaline, as certain normal salts which
          exhibit alkaline reactions with test paper.
          
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   2. (Min.) Said of crystalline rocks which contain a
      relatively low percentage of silica, as basalt.
      
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   {Basic salt} (Chem.), a salt formed from a base or hydroxide
      by the partial replacement of its hydrogen by a negative
      or acid element or radical.
      
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BASIC \BASIC\ n.
   1. (Computers) [Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Iruction C.]
      an artificial computer language with a relatively
      simplified instruction set.

   Note: Writing a program in BASIC or other higher computer
         languages is simpler than writing in assembly language.
         See also {programming language}, {FORTRAN}.
         [PJC]

higher programming language \higher programming language\ n.
   (Computers)
   A computer programming language with an instruction set
   allowing one instruction to code for several assembly
   language instructions.

   Note: The aggregation of several assembly-language
         instructions into one instruction allows much greater
         efficiency in writing computer programs. Most programs
         are now written in some higher programming language,
         such as {BASIC}, {FORTRAN}, {COBOL}, {C}, {C++},
         {PROLOG}, or {JAVA}.
         [PJC]