1525 in J. Nichols Illustr. Antient Times Eng. (1797) 181 To she that turned the spitt, 8d.; to the Basteter, 4d.

1763 It's All of a Peace (single sheet) Then the Spit and the Dripping-Pan fell on the Baster, For Firkins of Butter and Lard he did waste, Sir.

1901 C. W. Bardsley & A. Bardsley Dict. Eng. & Welsh Surnames 83/2 Baster, occup. ‘the baster’, probably a kitchen servitor who basted the joint.

2013 Irish Independent (Nexis) 16 Dec. 24 I've been demoted to chief baster. That's the spooning of juices over the bird to keep her moist.

1559 in E. Roberts & K. Parker Southampton Probate Inventories, 1447–1575 (1992) I. 158 A coolrake, a treyfet, a bread gratter, ij bastors.

1734 London Daily Post 13 Nov. Two Fish-drainers; Copper Scimmers, Ladles and Basters; and several other Kitchen Furniture.

1890 Official Gaz. (U.S. Patent Office) 13 Mar. 1012/2 In a meat-roaster, the combination of a revoluble oven and basters connected together in a group, each group of basters being removably attached to the interior of the oven.

1988 R. Hemley Installations in All you can Eat (1990) 176 She reaches into one of her bags, takes out a turkey baster, and squirts it at the person sitting nearest her.

2012 L. J. Larsen Starter Cook iii. 63 Use a baster, a spoon, or a silicone brush to put drippings from the bottom of the pan on the meat.

1600 S. Rowlands Letting of Humors Blood Satyre iv. sig. D8^v Cloth-breech doth deride him with a laugh, And lets him see Bone-baster, thats his staffe.

1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iii. v. 97 I doe believe the Divel's in my Master, who ever basted was till now; Now's baster.

1707 W. Wagstaffe Crispin Cobler's Confut. Ben H—dly (ed. 2) 12 Jack took up the Poker, and..gave me such a Bastar upon the Head, that it was two Months before I perfectly recovered.

a1833 J. T. Smith Bk. for Rainy Day (1845) 14 A fellow riding a hog, brandishing a birch broom by way of a baster.

1790 E. Helme tr. F. Le Vaillant Trav. Afr. II. 344 These Boshmen..far from being a distinct species..are only a promiscuous assemblage of mulattoes, negroes and mestixos, of every species, and sometimes of Hottentots and Basters.

1872 Evening Bull. (San Francisco) 24 Feb. The Basters and Griquas, resulting from the intercourse between whites and Hottentots, have multiplied so as to become a serious annoyance to the Cape Government.

1936 A. J. Goldblatt in J. J. L. Sisson S. Afr. Judicial Dict. (1960) 85 In this territory the term ‘baster’ when it is ascribed to a person's race is well known to refer to the members of the Rehoboth Bastard Community.

1976 Plain Truth Dec. 10 The first major community to the south of Windhoek is Rehoboth..settled by Basters, a mixed Nama-white stock. The Basters (their name means ‘bastard’ in Afrikaans, but they wear the label proudly) found marvelous hot springs in the region.

1998 Independent on Sunday 2 Aug. i. 15/2 Mr Isaaks rants that the black Namibian government has stolen land the Basters purchased from the Nama tribesmen.

1846 N.Y.Farmer & Mechanic July 251/2 A baster plate..which is a plate of thin steel, about three-quarters of an inch wide, with sharp teeth upon one side..is passed upon it [sc. the cloth to be sewn]..and the teeth enter the cloth, thereby securing the edges together as in ordinary basting with thread.

1864 J. L. Bishop Hist. Amer. Manufactures II. 606 Baister-pins were retained in the periphery of the feed-wheel.

2010 F. P. Bachman Story of Inventions (ed. 2) ii. 89 The baster plate was the weakest part of the machine. The seam that could be made without stopping was short, and only straight seams could be sewn.

1854 Illustr. London News 16 Dec. 624/2 Each machine, with its attendant basters and finishers, will produce about 150 pairs of men's trousers per week.

1902 Daily Chron. 5 Mar. 10/5 Coat Machinists..wanted, baisters and finishers.

2007 N.Y. Post (Nexis) 26 Feb. 8 Oscar's main excitement was the schmattas. For his freebee loaners, Armani imported 19 fitters and basters.