basement

/ˈbeɪsmənt/

/ˈbeɪsmənt/

Other forms: basements

A basement is a room that's below ground level, underneath the first floor. You might have a laundry room with a washer and dryer in your basement.

Some basements are partially under the level of the street, while others are completely below ground. Many, though not all, houses and larger buildings have basements. Some basements are "finished," with carpeting and solid ceilings and walls, but more often they're very basic rooms used for storage. The word dates from 1730, most likely from the Italian basamento, "column base."

Definitions of basement

1. noun

   the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
   synonyms: cellar

   types:

   cellarage

   a storage area in a cellar

   type of:

   floor, level, storey, story

   a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale
2. noun

   the ground floor facade or interior in Renaissance architecture
   type of:

   support

   supporting structure that holds up or provides a foundation