BAST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Bast mean? 

• BAST (noun)
  The noun BAST has 3 senses:

1. strong woody fibers obtained especially from the phloem of from various plants

2. (botany) tissue that conducts synthesized food substances (e.g., from leaves) to parts where needed; consists primarily of sieve tubes

3. cat- or lion-headed Egyptian goddess; represents life-giving power of the sun

  Familiarity information: BAST used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BAST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Strong woody fibers obtained especially from the phloem of from various plants

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

bast; bast fiber

Hypernyms ("bast" is a kind of...):

natural fiber; natural fibre (fiber derived from plants or animals)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(botany) tissue that conducts synthesized food substances (e.g., from leaves) to parts where needed; consists primarily of sieve tubes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

bast; phloem

Hypernyms ("bast" is a kind of...):

vascular tissue (tissue that conducts water and nutrients through the plant body in higher plants)

Meronyms (parts of "bast"):

sieve tube (tube formed by cells joined end-to-end through which nutrients flow in flowering plants and brown algae)

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cat- or lion-headed Egyptian goddess; represents life-giving power of the sun

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Instance hypernyms:

Egyptian deity (a deity worshipped by the ancient Egyptians)

 Context examples 

Millions of mummified ibis birds have been found in Egyptian tombs and catacombs in Saqqara and Tuna el-Gebel, and Egyptologists have reported they were sacrificed to the god Thoth, who is often depicted with the head of an ibis, the way Horus is shown with the head of a falcon and Bast with the head of a cat.

(Ancient Egyptians collected wild ibis birds for sacrifice, says study, Wikinews)

Three of the tombs, which date back to the New Kingdom period and are between 3500 and 3000 years old, appear to have been used for feline burial as dozens of mummified moggies were discovered within, as well as wooden cat statutes and representations of the cat goddess Bast.

(Egyptian Archaeologists Uncover One-Of-A-Kind Tomb South of Cairo, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)