baste

Meanings

Verb

• To sew with long or loose stitches, as for temporary use, or in preparation for gathering the fabric.
• To sprinkle flour and salt and drip butter or fat on, as on meat in roasting.
• To coat over something.
• To mark (sheep, etc.) with tar.
• To beat with a stick; to cudgel.

Noun

• A basting; a sprinkling of drippings etc. in cooking.

Origin

• Late Middle English, from Old French bastir ("build, construct, sew up (a garment)").
• Middle English basten, of uncertain etymon, possibly from Old French basser ("moisten, soak"), from bacin.
• Perhaps from the cookery sense of baste or from some Scandinavian etymon. Compare Old Norse beysta ("to beat, thresh") (whence
• Danish børste ("to beat up")). Compare also
• Swedish basa ("to beat with a rod, to flog") and
• Swedish bösta ("to thump").
• Might be related French bâton (formerly baston), which means stick (English baton comes from bâton) ; see also French bastonnade, the act of beating with a stick.