foundation

Meanings

1. The act of founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect.
2. That upon which anything is founded; that on which anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest and supporting layer of a superstructure; underbuilding.
3. The result of the work to begin something; that which stabilizes and allows an enterprise or system to develop.
4. In solitaire or patience games, one of the piles of cards that the player attempts to build, usually holding all cards of a suit in ascending order.
5. The lowest and supporting part or member of a wall, including the base course and footing courses; in a frame house, the whole substructure of masonry.
6. A donation or legacy appropriated to support a charitable institution, and constituting a permanent fund; endowment.
7. That which is founded, or established by endowment; an endowed institution or charity.
8. Cosmetic cream roughly skin-colored, designed to make the face appear uniform in color and texture.
9. A basis for social bodies or intellectual disciplines.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- ~ *dʰubʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-mḗn Proto-Indo-European *bʰudʰmḗnder. Proto-Italic *funðos Latin fundus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin fundō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin fundātiōder. Old French fondacionbor. Middle English foundacioun English foundation From Middle English foundacioun, fundacioun, from Old French fondacion, from Latin fundātiō (“founding, foundation”).