under
adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333788 on Wikidata ↗adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L341634 on Wikidata ↗preposition
- relation of spatial context
- relation of heirarchy, authority, or importance
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈʌndə/ / /ˈʌndɚ/ / [ˈʌn(ɾ)ɚ]
adj
Etymology: From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Cognate with German unter, Dutch onder, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under, Faroese and Icelandic undir; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).
- Lower; beneath something.
“This treatment protects the under portion of the car from rust.”
“(in compounds) underbelly, underside, undershirt, undersecretary”
- In a state of subordination, submission or defeat.
“The army could not keep the people under.”
“I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.”
- Under anesthesia, especially general anesthesia; sedated.
“Ensure the patient is sufficiently under.”
- Having a particular property that is low, especially so as to be insufficient or lacking in a particular respect.
“This chicken is a bit under. (insufficiently cooked)”
“This bag of apples feels under. (of insufficient weight)”
adv
Etymology: From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Cognate with German unter, Dutch onder, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under, Faroese and Icelandic undir; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).
- In or to a lower or subordinate position, or a position beneath or below something, physically or figuratively.
“pulled under by the currents”
“weighed under by worry”
- So as to pass beneath something.
“There's quite a gap, so you may be able to sneak under.”
- Less than what is necessary to be adequate or suitable; insufficient.
“The plants were underwatered.”
“Women are under-represented.”
- In or into an unconscious state.
“It took the hypnotist several minutes to make his subject go under.”
- Down to defeat, ruin, or death.
“The COVID-19 epidemic and shutdown took some businesses under.”
“Big-box store and online retailing have driven many specialty and local retail stores under.”
noun
Etymology: From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Cognate with German unter, Dutch onder, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under, Faroese and Icelandic undir; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).
- The amount by which an actual total is less than the expected or required amount.
“[…] standard cash count forms used to record the count and any overs or unders.”
- Something having a particular property that is low or too low.
“I went fishing but caught nothing but unders.”
“Usually I am at least ten over on that course, but I have shot a couple of unders.”
- A bet that a particular sporting statistic, such as points scored in a game, will be below a certain stated value.
prep
Etymology: From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic *undar, from Proto-Germanic *under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European *(H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and *h₁entér (“inside”). Cognate with German unter, Dutch onder, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under, Faroese and Icelandic undir; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).
- Beneath; below; at or to the bottom of, or the area covered or surmounted by.
“We found some shade under a tree.”
“Quick, stuff the cash under the mattress!”
- Beneath; below; at or to the bottom of, or the area covered or surmounted by.
“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!”
- From one side of to the other, passing beneath.
“I crawled under the fence.”
“There is a tunnel under the English Channel.”
- Less than.
“Interest rates are now under 1%.”
“We can get there in under an hour.”
- Subject to.
“We were constantly under bombardment.”
“I can't live under these circumstances.”
- Subject to.
“He served in World War II under General Omar Bradley.”
“During the pandemic, we had to live under severe restrictions.”
- Within the category, classification or heading of.
“File this under "i" for "ignore".”
- In the face of; in response to (some attacking force).
“England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.”
“to collapse under stress; to give in under interrogation”
- Using or adopting (a name, identity, etc.).
“J.K. Rowling has written a crime novel called 'The Cuckoo's Calling' under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.”
“He writes books under the name John Smith.”