Basting is a term used for holding two pieces of fabric together prior to quilting or holding a zipper in place to keep it from moving while you sew it into a garment.  Basting can be done by hand or machine.  And in quilting also by safety pins.  Usually, basting stitches are long stitches that are easily removed after the article is completed.

In quilting, when you put your sandwich together, the top, bat, and backing, safety pins are placed spaced about six inches apart so that you can make your quilting stitches.