www.alphadictionary.com

This term surfaced in the discussion about "tack".

Baste (verb), in sewing, is to apply long loose stitches to hold the fabric in place until the final seam has been stitched. The noun is "basting".

In cooking, it's applying a liquid or sauce to a food item, usually meat, while cooking. A typical use is on a roast turkey, and the applicator is a turkey baster.

A third meaning is to beat severely.

I finally went looking and found out that this one's not one. It's three. And they are all sneaky ones we know little about, being "probably", "possibly', and "perhaps" in their write-ups on etymonline.