at bottom

bot·tom  (btm)

n.

1. The deepest or lowest part: the bottom of a well; the bottom of the page.

2. The part closest to a reference point: was positioned at the bottom of the key for a rebound.

3. The underside: scraped the bottom of the car on a rock.

4. The supporting part; the base.

5. The far end or part: at the bottom of the bed.

6.

a. The last place, as on a list.

b. The lowest or least favorable position: started at the bottom of the corporate hierarchy.

7. The basic underlying quality; the source: Let's get to the bottom of the problem.

8. The solid surface under a body of water.

9. Low-lying alluvial land adjacent to a river. Often used in the plural. Also called bottomland.

10.

a. Nautical The part of a ship's hull below the water line.

b. A ship; a boat: "English merchants did much of their overseas trade in foreign bottoms" (G.M. Trevelyan).

11. The trousers or short pants of pajamas. Often used in the plural.

12. Informal The buttocks.

13. The seat of a chair.

14. Baseball The second or last half of an inning.

15. Staying power; stamina. Used of a horse.

v. bot·tomed, bot·tom·ing, bot·toms

v.tr.

1. To provide with an underside.

2. To provide with a foundation.

3. To get to the bottom of; fathom.

v.intr.

1. To be or become based or grounded.

2. To rest on or touch the bottom.

Phrasal Verb:

bottom out

To descend to the lowest point possible, after which only a rise may occur: Sales of personal computers have bottomed out.

Idiom:

at bottom

Basically.

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[Middle English botme, from Old English botm.]

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bottom·er n.

Thesaurus

Adv.

1.

at bottom - in reality; "she is very kind at heart" at heart, deep down, in spite of appearance, inside