bedrock

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noun bed·rock \-ˈräk, -ˌräk\

Definition of bedrock

1 : the solid rock underlying unconsolidated surface materials (such as soil)
2a : lowest pointb : basis

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Examples of bedrock in a Sentence

They dug down for 10 feet before they hit bedrock.
His religious beliefs are the bedrock on which his life is based.

Recent Examples of bedrock from the Web

Sliders, curve and changeups are your secondary stuff … That kind of thinking has been the bedrock of pitching.

— tom verducci, SI.com, "Slow down: The Yankees are leading a change in baseball by abandoning a principle of pitching," 19 July 2017
BLOOMINGTON – Once again, Indiana’s wide receiver corps looks like the bedrock of its offense.

— zach osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Position primer: IU's wide receiver group once again in good hands," 12 July 2017
Many athletic directors and coaches contend that one-and-done has eroded the idea of the student-athlete, which is the bedrock of the NCAA’s amateurism model.

— tod palmer, kansascity.com, "Mizzou wades into one-and-done waters as NBA weighs change," 4 July 2017
Minute Maid Park (Astros) BEST: Chorizo Loaded Fries The best of Tex-Mex cuisine hits the dependable bedrock that is fries.

— jon tayler, SI.com, "Your guide to the best—and weirdest—ballpark food from all 30 MLB stadiums," 30 June 2017
So keeping bits of plutonium far apart is one of the bedrock rules that those working on the nuclear arsenal are supposed to follow to prevent workplace accidents.

— patrick malone, Science | AAAS, "A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons," 29 June 2017
In this—as is true of other civil-rights victories that were the bedrock of the 50s and 60s liberation movement, like education and voting rights—a central tenet of American freedom now finds itself in danger of simply vanishing.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "The Fight for Health Care Has Always Been About Civil Rights," 27 June 2017
The single tracks wind over bedrock, cobbled rock, rooty surfaces with lots of climbs, technical descents, berms, rustic bridges and boardwalks.

— mark spezia, Detroit Free Press, "Ultimate Michigan summer sports bucket list: 50 activities you must try," 18 June 2017
The infield is usually the bedrock of the team's defense every year, but in 2017 entered Thursday with minus-4 defensive runs saved.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Everything going wrong for Orioles as they come home on the skids," 15 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bedrock.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bedrock

1839

bedrock

adjective bed·rock

Definition of bedrock

: solidly fundamental, basic, or reliable traditional bedrock values a bedrock constituency

Recent Examples of bedrock from the Web

Bedrock bourgeois values appeared to be under siege on every front—

— ian beacock, New Republic, "How the Nazis Made Art Fascist," 23 May 2017
But he was ordained as the spiritual leader of the sport when his father, then the bedrock spirit of NASCAR, died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

— brant james, USA TODAY, "Analysis: Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR legacy stretches beyond merely driver," 26 Apr. 2017
That a Democratic candidate might diverge from the group’s pro-business agenda is no surprise, but Mr. Trump’s embrace of economic policies that are anathema to its members is seen as a betrayal of bedrock Republican principles.

— james b. stewart, New York Times, "Trump’s Differences With Big Business," 14 July 2016