baste
UK[beɪst]US[beɪst]
v
to pour juices or melted fat over meat while it is cooking
v
to sew with long, loose temporary stitches
Etymology
the word 'baste' presents a fascinating case of etymological convergence, where two distinct historical words have merged into a single modern spelling. the culinary sense, meaning to moisten meat, likely entered english in the late 14th century from the old french 'basser', meaning "to soak, moisten," though its ultimate origin is uncertain. the sewing sense, meaning to tack fabric temporarily, appeared in the late 16th century and may derive from an old norse word or be related to the old french 'bastir', meaning "to build, construct," which is also the source of 'bastion'. despite their identical spelling and pronunciation today, these two verbs originated from completely different sources, a phenomenon known as homonymic collision. the logic connecting the ancient meanings to modern use is clear within each stream: the action of applying liquid and the action of constructing a temporary seam both involve a preparatory or sustaining process.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. its modern spelling and form do not allow for segmentation into distinct, meaningful morphemes based on its current english spelling.
Examples
remember to baste the turkey every thirty minutes to keep it from drying out.
she quickly basted the seam to check the fit before doing the final stitch.
the recipe instructs you to baste the roast with its own pan juices.