under

[uhn-der] /ˈʌn dər/
preposition
1.
beneath and covered by:
under a table; under a tree.
2.
below the surface of:
under water; under the skin.
3.
at a point or position lower or further down than:
He was hit just under his eye.
4.
in the position or state of bearing, supporting, sustaining, enduring, etc.:
to sink under a heavy load.
5.
beneath the heading or within the category of: Classify the books under “Fiction” and “General.”.
6.
as designated, indicated, or represented by:
to register under a new name.
7.
below in degree, amount, etc.; less than:
purchased under cost.
8.
below in rank; of less dignity, importance, or the like:
A corporal is under a sergeant.
9.
subject to the authority, direction, or supervision of:
a bureau functioning under the prime minister.
10.
subject to the instruction or advice of:
to study the violin under Heifetz.
11.
subject to the influence, condition, force, etc., of:
under these circumstances; born under the sign of Taurus.
12.
protected, controlled, or watched by:
under guard.
13.
authorized, warranted, or attested by:
under one's hand or seal.
14.
in accordance with:
under the provisions of the law.
15.
during the rule, administration, or government of:
new laws passed under President Reagan.
16.
in the state or process of:
under repair; a matter under consideration.
17.
Nautical. powered by the means indicated:
under sail; under steam.
adverb
18.
below or beneath something:
Go over the fence, not under.
19.
beneath the surface.
20.
in a lower place.
21.
in a lower degree, amount, etc.:
selling blouses for $25 and under.
22.
in a subordinate position or condition.
23.
in or into subjection or submission.
adjective
24.
beneath or on the underside:
the under threads of the embroidery.
25.
lower in position.
26.
lower in degree, amount, etc.
27.
lower in rank or condition.
28.
subject to the control, effect, etc., as of a person, drug, or force:
The hypnotist had her subject under at once. The patient was under as soon as he breathed the anesthetic.
Verb phrases
29.
go under,
  1. to give in; succumb; yield:
    She tried desperately to fight off her drowsiness, but felt herself going under.
  2. to fail in business:
    After 20 years on the same corner they finally went under.
Idioms
30.
under wraps. wrap (def 14).
Origin
before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch onder, German unter, Old Norse undir, Latin inferus located below
Synonyms
2. See below.

under-

1.
a prefixal use of under, as to indicate place or situation below or beneath (underbrush; undertow); lower in grade or dignity (undersheriff; understudy); of lesser degree, extent, or amount (undersized); or insufficiency (underfeed).
Origin
Middle English; Old English
Examples from the web for under
  • Drawers on casters conceal seldom-used items under the bed.
  • under a high-powered microscope the silica shells of single-celled algae are revealed in all their manifold beauty.
  • The deep basins under the oceans are carpeted with lava that spewed from submarine volcanoes and solidified.
  • Later, go for a swim in one of the inn's two torch-lit pools under clear desert skies, or catch an outdoor movie.
  • The science behind moving species under threat from climate change.
  • These ancient rivulets, however, are now under siege.
  • Butterflied chicken marinated in lemon and herbs browns beautifully under the weight of bricks.
  • under the right conditions, patterns emerge from the brain's monumental complexity.
  • What happens above us can alter the terrain under us.
  • Faculty members are working under a badly outdated model of human memory that has shaped teaching practices for years.
British Dictionary definitions for under

under

/ˈʌndə/
preposition
1.
directly below; on, to, or beneath the underside or base of: under one's feet
2.
less than: under forty years
3.
lower in rank than: under a corporal
4.
subject to the supervision, jurisdiction, control, or influence of
5.
subject to (conditions); in (certain circumstances)
6.
within a classification of: a book under theology
7.
known by: under an assumed name
8.
planted with: a field under corn
9.
powered by: under sail
10.
(astrology) during the period that the sun is in (a sign of the zodiac): born under Aries
adverb
11.
below; to a position underneath something
Word Origin
Old English; related to Old Saxon, Gothic undar, Old High German untar, Old Norse undir, Latin infra

under-

prefix
1.
below or beneath: underarm, underground
2.
of lesser importance or lower rank: undersecretary
3.
to a lesser degree than is proper; insufficient or insufficiently: undercharge, underemployed
4.
indicating secrecy or deception: underhand
Word Origin and History for under
prep., adv.

Old English under, from Proto-Germanic *under- (cf. Old Frisian under, Dutch onder, Old High German untar, German unter, Old Norse undir, Gothic undar), from PIE *ndhero- "lower" (cf. Sanskrit adhah "below;" Avestan athara- "lower;" Latin infernus "lower," infra "below").

Notion of "subordination" was present in Old English Also used in Old English as a preposition meaning "between, among," as still in under these circumstances, etc. (though this may be an entirely separate root; see understand). Productive as a prefix in Old English, as in German and Scandinavian. Under the table is from 1921 in the sense of "very drunk," 1940s in sense of "illegal." To get something under (one's) belt is from 1954; to keep something under (one's) hat "secret" is from 1885; to have something under (one's) nose "in plain sight" is from 1540s; to speak under (one's) breath "in a low voice" is attested from 1832. To be under (someone's) thumb "entirely controlled" is recorded from 1754.

Slang definitions & phrases for under

under

Related Terms

get out from under


Idioms and Phrases with under

under

also see: