Meaning

1. law; natural law (rule according to which things operate)
2. rule, principle (rule according to which something is constructed or works)
3. rule (way of proceeding in given circumstances, in a given area of life, sanctioned by law)
4. rule (manner; habit of conduct considered by a given person or a given environment to be good and worthy of use, binding)
5. base (any of a class of generally water-soluble compounds, having bitter taste, that turn red litmus blue, and react with acids to form salts)
6. (obsolete) foundation, principle, base (that which is at the base)