bask

See also: Bask and bäsk

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English basken, from Old Norse baðask (“to take a bath”, literally “to bathe oneself”), mediopassive form from underlying baða (“to bathe”) + sik (“oneself”), from Proto-Germanic *baþōną and *sek. Doublet of English bathe.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bäsk IPA(key): /bɑːsk/
  • (General American) enPR: băsk IPA(key): /bæsk/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Homophones: Basque, basque (in some dialects)
  • Rhymes: -æsk, -ɑːsk

Verb

bask (third-person singular simple present basks, present participle basking, simple past and past participle basked)

  1. (intransitive, usually followed by "in") To bathe in warmth; to be exposed to pleasant heat.
    to bask in the sun
    Hyponyms: apricate, sun
    She shivered until she got to the cozy fireplace, where she could bask in the heat coming off it.
    • 1764 December 19 (indicated as 1765), Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller, or A Prospect of Society. A Poem. […], London: […] J[ohn] Newbery, […], →OCLC, page 5:
      The naked Negro, panting at the line, / Baſks in the glare, or ſtems the tepid wave, / And thanks his Gods for all the good they gave.
    • 2021 October 20, Paul Stephen, “Leisure and Pleasure on the Far North Line”, in RAIL, number 942, page 48:
      There will be no problems with visibility, or the highly changeable Highland weather, as Scotland basks in what is reported to be the country's hottest September day for more than a century.
    1. (of reptiles) To expose oneself to heat, especially sunlight, in order to raise body temperature, as a form of thermoregulation.
      My lizard likes to spend his days basking on the stone near the lamp.
  2. (figurative, intransitive, usually followed by "in") To take great pleasure or satisfaction; to feel warmth or happiness.
    to bask in someone’s favour
    I basked in her love.
    • 2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 6 November 2025:
      As President Obama turns his attention once again to filling out a cabinet and writing an Inaugural Address, this much is clear: he should not expect to bask in a surge of national unity, or to witness a crowd of millions overrun the Mall just to say they were there.
    • 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport‎[2], archived from the original on 3 September 2026:
      On this evidence they will certainly face tougher tests, as a depleted Newcastle side seemed to bask in the relative security of being ninth in the table

Hyponyms

Derived terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰeh₁- (0 c, 7 e)

Translations

Noun

bask (plural basks)

  1. The act of bathing in warmth.
    Most cats enjoy a bask in the sunshine.
  2. (collective) A group of crocodiles.
    • 2020 March, “COVID-19 threatens health systems in sub-Saharan Africa: the eye of the crocodile”, in Journal of Clinical Investigation, volume 130, number 6, page 2741:
      The threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to health systems in subSaharan Africa (SSA) can be compared metaphorically to a lake in Africa infested with a bask of crocodiles and the saying “the eye of the crocodile.”
    • 2021, Ramani Ranjan Khuntia, Don't Kill Me: Earth Is My Mother‎[3], Notion Press:
      After crossing half a kilometre, we saw a bask of crocodiles sleeping at the river bank.
    • 2011, Diana Craig Patch, Marianne Eaton-Krauss, Susan J. Allen, Dawn of Egyptian Art‎[4], Metropolitan Museum of Art, page 32:
      the bask of crocodiles is presented from above, while the herd of hippos is shown in profile.

Anagrams

Albanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bˈask/

Noun

bask m

  1. Basque (person)
  2. Basque (language)

Declension

Declension of bask
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative bask basku baskë baskët
accusative baskun
dative basku baskut baskëve baskëve
ablative baskësh

Adjective

bask (feminine baske)

  1. Basque

Derived terms

Further reading

  • Jani Thomai et al. (2006), “bask”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë

Middle English

Adjective

bask

  1. alternative form of baysk

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *baHjúš (“arm”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bʰaHȷ́ʰúš, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰús. Compare Baluchi باسک (básk), Old Armenian բազուկ (bazuk), Parthian 𐫁𐫀𐫉𐫇𐫃 (bʾzwg /⁠bāzūg⁠/).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɑːsk/

Noun

Central Kurdish باسک (bask)
Southern Kurdish بازوو (bazû)
Zazaki bazi
Gurani بازوو (bazû)

bask m

  1. wing
  2. feather
  3. arm
  4. wrist

References

  • Chyet, Michael L. (2003), “bask”, in Kurdish–English Dictionary‎[5], with selected etymologies by Martin Schwartz, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, page 24

Swedish

Noun

bask c

  1. Basque; member of people

Declension

Declension of bask
nominative genitive
singular indefinite bask basks
definite basken baskens
plural indefinite basker baskers
definite baskerna baskernas

Anagrams

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