Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

base class
     
         (Or "superclass") The {class} from which another
        class (a "subclass") inherits.
     
        "base class" is the term used in {C++}.  The term "superclass"
        is perhaps confusing since objects of the subclass have a
        superset of the fields of objects in the superclass.
     
        See {inheritance}.
     
        (1996-08-04)