What does "baste" mean in sewing terms?

Baste, when referring to sewing, means to join pieces of fabric together temporarily. The purpose is to hold the pieces together long enough to ensure proper stitching. This is generally done when the fabric is slippery or if there are multiple pieces to be sewn together.

When basting, large stitches are made in the fabric with the goal in mind of removing them once more permanent stitching has been done. Basting is often useful when attempting to alter an article of clothing, for testing the fit or to temporarily close a seam when adding a zipper. Basting can be done by hand or with a machine.