# Does the word "bastian" mean anything? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348 "2007-02-01T00:52:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/1 "2007-02-01T00:52:47Z")
I could have sworn I’d heard this word used in statements sarcasticly saying someone was highly regarded in some area. One of my guy friends that sleeps with quite a few women was saying he wasn’t interested in a woman because he thought she was slutty, and I told him “Yeah, I’m sure you’re the bastian of the abstinent community”, and he didn’t know what the shit I was talking about. I looked up the word on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), and no dice. Looked it up on urbandictionary, and no dice. What’s the deal? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/2 "2007-02-01T00:54:37Z")
You spelt it wrong. O not A. > **[BASTION Definition & Usage Examples | Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/bastion)** > > Bastion definition: . See examples of BASTION used in a sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/3 "2007-02-01T00:55:23Z")
[Bastion.](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-22,GGGL:en&defl=en&q=define:Bastion&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title) ---
**Author:** ![milquetoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@milquetoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milquetoast)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/4 "2007-02-01T00:56:38Z")
Are you thinking of “[bastion](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bastion) ,” which means “stronghold” or “fortress”? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/5 "2007-02-01T00:56:51Z")
[QUOTE=BabaBooey] I could have sworn I’d heard this word used in statements sarcasticly saying someone was highly regarded in some area. One of my guy friends that sleeps with quite a few women was saying he wasn’t interested in a woman because he thought she was slutty, and I told him “Yeah, I’m sure you’re the bastian of the abstinent community”, and he didn’t know what the shit I was talking about. I looked up the word on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), and no dice. Looked it up on urbandictionary, and no dice. What’s the deal? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills! [/QUOTE] You want “bastion.” > **[Definition of BASTION](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bastion)** > > a projecting part of a fortification; a fortified area or position; stronghold… See the full definition The relevant part in that: “The last bastion of academic standards.” A stronghold. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/6 "2007-02-01T01:08:00Z")
This seems like something of a drawback to web-based dictionaries, doesn’t it? If you’d looked up the word in the dead-tree version, you’d have found the correct spelling and definition straight away. Yet on-line dictionaries just leave you with nothing. Even google can’t help: often, if you’ve misspelled the word you’re searching on, it comes up with a helpful (or patronising) “Did you mean…” comment, but Bastian is a common enough name to provide plenty of hits. Is there an on-line dictionary that offers suggestions for alternative “near miss” spellings? After all, half the time you’re looking a word up is because you’re unsure of the spelling. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/7 "2007-02-01T01:13:23Z")
[Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) does that…sometimes. Usually when you double-up, or fail to double-up a letter. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/8 "2007-02-01T01:16:22Z")
[RhymeZone](http://www.rhymezone.com/) has a spelling function. For “bastian” it wasn’t until I clicked “same consonants” did I get a link to “bastion,” but it was there. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/9 "2007-02-01T01:24:18Z")
I typed **bastian** into a Word 2000 document and spell-checked it. Word suggested **bastion** , **abstain** , and **bastions**. I’ve found Word extremely useful a great many times when I’m unsure of the spelling of something. Now that I’ve started this message, I noticed that Firefox 2.0.0.1 objects to **bastian** (it puts a red dotted line under it). Guess what word it suggests if I right-click it? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/10 "2007-02-01T02:31:18Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] Is there an on-line dictionary that offers suggestions for alternative “near miss” spellings? After all, half the time you’re looking a word up is because you’re unsure of the spelling. [/QUOTE] [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) does that - except in this case it didn’t, because there is actually a valid entry for _Bastian_. It only suggests alternatives if it finds no results. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/11 "2007-02-01T03:40:10Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] This seems like something of a drawback to web-based dictionaries, doesn’t it? If you’d looked up the word in the dead-tree version, you’d have found the correct spelling and definition straight away. Yet on-line dictionaries just leave you with nothing. [/QUOTE] Merriam-Webster on-line [bastian](http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/bastian) not found with 11 suggestions, bastion being the first. For [“bast\*n”](http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/bastian), four suggestions, bastion is the third. I’m sure the M-W is not the only intelligent on-line dictionary, but it is the one with which I am most familiar. (The real drawback to on-line dictionaries is that you don’t get the enjoyment of spending two or three hours each day perusing the words you were not looking up that just happened to be on the same page.) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/12 "2007-02-01T04:28:36Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] This seems like something of a drawback to web-based dictionaries, doesn’t it? If you’d looked up the word in the dead-tree version, you’d have found the correct spelling and definition straight away. [/QUOTE] What if he thought it was spelled “pastion”? No amount of dead trees would have helped. ---
**Author:** ![illoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@illoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/illoe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/13 "2007-02-01T05:56:40Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] The real drawback to on-line dictionaries is that you don’t get the enjoyment of spending two or three hours each day perusing the words you were not looking up that just happened to be on the same page. [/QUOTE] \<_swoon_\> . ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/14 "2007-02-01T06:46:25Z")
Am I the only one running through The Neverending Story in my head? _Bastian! Call my name!_ ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/15 "2007-02-01T10:29:34Z")
[Never Ending Party!](http://youtube.com/watch?v=h2pp8fPbaOM&mode=related&search=) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/16 "2007-02-01T10:35:21Z")
‘Bastian’ can also be used as such: _“The violence in that movie was really gratuitous. Like the scene where the killer was bastian the girl’s head in? Oh how gross.”_ ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/17 "2007-02-01T11:47:01Z")
I’ve seen it used as an abbreviation of, ahem, Sebastian. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/18 "2007-02-01T14:04:40Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] This seems like something of a drawback to web-based dictionaries, doesn’t it? If you’d looked up the word in the dead-tree version, you’d have found the correct spelling and definition straight away. [/QUOTE] Yes, but only because in our example, the correct (_bastion_) and incorrect (_bastian_) spellings have the same first five letters. This virtually guarantees that when you open your dead-tree dictionary to look up “bastian”, you’ll end up on the same page as “bastion” and you’ll figure out your mistake. But if the spelling error is in the first letter or two, the dead-tree dictionary will be of no help whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/19 "2007-02-01T14:21:45Z")
Bastian - he’s the one who’s out sick when you get a Sebastian. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348/20 "2007-02-01T14:47:26Z")
[QUOTE=BabaBooey] “Yeah, I’m sure you’re the bastian of the abstinent community”, and he didn’t know what the shit I was talking about. [/QUOTE] Now that we’ve settled the matter of the existence of the word, I don’t know what the shit you’re talking about either. 😃 Maybe we should move from the spelling on to the definition. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-word-bastian-mean-anything/390348.md?page=2)