base line
Server's starting line
Base line (also baseline) has meanings rooted in a literal or figurative starting point for measurement.
In sports, it's a boundary line—the back line in tennis or the line connecting bases in baseball.
In surveying, it's a reference line from which other measurements are taken.
More broadly, a baseline is a standard for comparison: We need to establish a baseline before we can measure improvement.
Medical baselines record normal values against which future tests are compared.
- starting pointPlace of commencement
- benchmarkStandard for comparison
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- point of referenceStandard for comparison
- referenceDirecting attention elsewhere
tennis · measurement · standard · survey · datum · anchor · origin · ground level · zero point · ground zero · serve · backcourt · boundary · marker · control · control group · comparison · norm
base linenet
Final amount remaining
service line · front court · forecourt · center line · half-court line
base lineupper limit
Maximum permitted value
cap · maximum · threshold · upper bound