underneath
adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L202201 on Wikidata ↗preposition
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333906 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˌʌndəˈniːθ/ / /ˌʌndɚˈniθ/ / /ˌʌndɚˈnið/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English undernethe, undernethen, from Old English underneoþan (“underneath”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *underniþer. Equivalent to under- + neath.
- Under, lower.
“You can have the underneath bunk.”
“The mess in the kitchen was one thing. The way the place smelled was another—some sort of chemistry-lab stink on top, some other smell underneath it. He was afraid the underneath smell might be blood.”
adv
Etymology: From Middle English undernethe, undernethen, from Old English underneoþan (“underneath”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *underniþer. Equivalent to under- + neath.
- Below; in a place beneath.
“I can't take my sweater off: I amn't wearing anything else on underneath.”
“connected with it underneath, you see a very fine hair-spring.”
- On the underside or lower face.
“No insects exhibit, like them, what may be termed four net-work eyes. It is very easy to perceive them in looking at the animal from above, and then examining it underneath”
noun
Etymology: From Middle English undernethe, undernethen, from Old English underneoþan (“underneath”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *underniþer. Equivalent to under- + neath.
- The bottom of something.
“The underneath of the aircraft was painted blue.”
“Nawnim yelped, heaved away, struck his head on the underneath of the bed, and rolled into view bawling.”
- A background radio sound track played during a specific announcement or program.
“The underneath is music from the latest album by ….”
prep
Etymology: From Middle English undernethe, undernethen, from Old English underneoþan (“underneath”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *underniþer. Equivalent to under- + neath.
- Under, below, beneath.
“Underneath the water, all was calm.”
“We flew underneath the bridge.”
- Under the control or power of.
“There was little freedom underneath the Nazi jackboot.”