basement
UK: ˈbeɪsmənt | US: ˈbeɪsmənt
n. the lowest floor of a building, either entirely or partly below ground level.
The word "basement" combines "base" (from Old French bas, meaning "low," and Latin basis, meaning "foundation") with the suffix "-ment" (from Latin -mentum, indicating a concrete result or state). Originally used in architecture (18th century), it literally denotes the "lowest foundational part" of a structure. The suffix "-ment" transforms the adjective "base" into a noun, solidifying its modern meaning as a subterranean floor.
We stored old furniture in the basement.
The basement flooded after heavy rainfall.
She converted the basement into a home theater.
The building’s basement houses the boiler room.
They discovered vintage wine in the basement cellar.