Adjacent Words

Under definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

UNDER, prep.
1. Beneath; below; so as to have something over or above. He stood under a tree; the carriage is under cover. We may see things under water; we have a cellar under the whole house.
2. In a state of pupilage or subjection; as a youth under a tutor; a ward under a guardian; colonies under the British government.
I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. Matthew 8.
3. In a less degree than. The effect of medicine is sometimes under and sometimes above or over its natural strength.
4. For less than. He would not sell the horse under forty pounds.
5. Less than; below. There are parishes in England under forty pounds a year.
6. With the pretense of; with the cover or pretext of. He does this under the name of love. This argument is not to be evaded under some plausible distinction.
7. With less than.
Several young men could never leave the pulpit under half a dozen conceits.
8. In a degree, state or rank inferior to.
It was too great an honor for any man under a duke.
9. In a state of being loaded; in a state of bearing or being burdened; as, to travel under a heavy load; to live under extreme oppression.
10. In a state of oppression or subjection to, the state in which a person is considered as bearing or having any thing laid upon him; as, to have fortitude under the evils of life; to have patience under pain, or under misfortunes; to behave like a christian under reproaches and injuries.
11. In a state of liability or obligation. No man shall trespass but under the pains and penalties of the law. Attend to the conditions under which you enter upon your office. We are under the necessity of obeying the laws. Nuns are under vows of chastity. We all lie under the curse of the law, until redeemed by Christ.
12. In the state of bearing and being known by; as men trading under the firm of Wright _ Co.
13. In the state of; in the enjoyment or possession of. We live under the gospel dispensation.
14. During the time of. The American revolution commenced under the administration of lord North.
15. Not having reached or arrived to; below. He left three sons under age.
16. Represented by; in the form of. Morpheus is represented under the figure of a boy asleep. [But morph, in Ethiopic, signifies cessation, rest.]
17. In the state of protection or defense. Under favor of the prince, our author was promoted. The enemy landed under cover of their batteries.
18. As bearing a particular character.
The duke may be mentioned under the double capacity of a poet and a divine.
19. Being contained or comprehended in.
Under this head may be mentioned the contests between the popes and the secular princes.
20. Attested by; signed by. Here is a deed under his hand and seal.
He has left us evidence under his own hand.
21. In a state of being handled, treated or discussed, or of being the subject of. The bill is now under discussion. We shall have the subject under consideration next week.
22. In subordination to. Under God, this is our only safety.
23. In subjection or bondage to; ruled or influenced by; in a moral sense; within the dominion of.
They are all under sin. Romans 3.
Under a signature, bearing, as a name or title.
Under way, in seamen's language, moving; in a condition to make progress.
To keep under, to hold in subjection or control; to restrain.
I keep under my body. 1 Corinthians 9.
UN'DER, a. Lower in degree; subject; subordinate; as an under officer; under sheriff.
Under is much used in composition. For the etymologies, see the principal words.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: located below or beneath something else; "nether garments"; "the under parts of a machine" [syn: nether, under]
2: lower in rank, power, or authority; "an under secretary" adv
1: down to defeat, death, or ruin; "their competitors went under"
2: through a range downward; "children six and under will be admitted free"
3: into unconsciousness; "this will put the patient under"
4: in or into a state of subordination or subjugation; "we must keep our disappointment under"
5: below some quantity or limit; "fifty dollars or under"
6: below the horizon; "the sun went under"
7: down below; "get under quickly!"
8: further down; "see under for further discussion" [syn: under, below]

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English; akin to Old High German untar under, Latin inferus situated beneath, lower, infra below, Sanskrit adha Date: before 12th century 1. in or into a position below or beneath something 2. below or short of some quantity, level, or limit <$10 or under> — often used in combination <understaffed> 3. in or into a condition of subjection, subordination, or unconsciousness <put the patient under for surgery> 4. down to defeat, ruin, or death <businesses going under> 5. so as to be covered <buried under by the avalanche> II. preposition Date: before 12th century 1. below or beneath so as to be overhung, surmounted, covered, protected, or concealed by <under sunny skies> <a soft heart under a stern exterior> <under cover of darkness> 2. a. subject to the authority, control, guidance, or instruction of <served under the general> <under the terms of the contract> <a program that runs under any operating system> b. receiving or undergoing the action or effect of <under pressure> <courage under fire> <under the influence of alcohol> <the image of a point under a mapping> <under oath> 3. a. within the group or designation of <under this heading> b. having as name or title <traveling under an alias> 4. less or lower than (as in size, amount, or rank); especially falling short of a standard or required degree <under the legal age> <under par> III. adjective Date: 13th century 1. a. lying or placed below, beneath, or on the ventral side — often used in combination <underlip> b. facing or protruding downward 2. lower in rank or authority ; subordinate 3. lower than usual, proper, or desired in amount, quality, or degree — often used in combination <an under-dose of medicine>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

prep., adv., & adj. --prep. 1 a in or to a position lower than; below; beneath (fell under the table; under the left eye). b within, on the inside of (a surface etc.) (wore a vest under his shirt). 2 a inferior to; less than (a captain is under a major; is under 18). b at or for a lower cost than (was under £20). 3 a subject or liable to; controlled or bound by (lives under oppression; under pain of death; born under Saturn; the country prospered under him). b undergoing (is under repair). c classified or subsumed in (that book goes under biology; goes under many names). 4 at the foot of or sheltered by (hid under the wall; under the cliff). 5 planted with (a crop). 6 powered by (sail, steam, etc.). 7 following (another player in a card game). 8 archaic attested by (esp. under one's hand and seal = signature). --adv. 1 in or to a lower position or condition (kept him under). 2 colloq. in or into a state of unconsciousness (put him under for the operation). --adj. lower (the under jaw). Phrases and idioms: under age see AGE. under one's arm see ARM(1). under arms see ARM(2). under one's belt see BELT. under one's breath see BREATH. under canvas see CANVAS. under a cloud see CLOUD. under control see CONTROL. under the counter see COUNTER(1). under cover see COVER n. 4. under fire see FIRE. under foot see FOOT. under hatches see HATCH(1). under a person's nose see NOSE. under the rose see ROSE(1). under separate cover in another envelope. under the sun anywhere in the world. under water in and covered by water. under way in motion; in progress. under the weather see WEATHER. Derivatives: undermost adj. Etymology: OE f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Penalty Pe"nal*ty, n.; pl. Penalties. [F. p['e]nalit['e]. See Penal.] 1. Penal retribution; punishment for crime or offense; the suffering in person or property which is annexed by law or judicial decision to the commission of a crime, offense, or trespass. Death is the penalty imposed. --Milton. 2. The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited, to which a person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine. The penalty and forfeit of my bond. --Shak. 3. A handicap. [Sporting Cant] Note: The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a pecuniary punishment. Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill. On, or Under, penalty of, on pain of; with exposure to the penalty of, in case of transgression.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Under Un"der, prep. [AS. under, prep. & adv.; akin to OFries. under, OS. undar, D. onder, G. unter, OHG. untar, Icel. undir, Sw. & Dan. under, Goth. undar, L. infra below, inferior lower, Skr. adhas below. [root]201. Cf. Inferior.] 1. Below or lower, in place or position, with the idea of being covered; lower than; beneath; -- opposed to over; as, he stood under a tree; the carriage is under cover; a cellar extends under the whole house. Fruit put in bottles, and the bottles let down into wells under water, will keep long. --Bacon. Be gathered now, ye waters under heaven, Into one place. --Milton. 2. Hence, in many figurative uses which may be classified as follows; (a) Denoting relation to some thing or person that is superior, weighs upon, oppresses, bows down, governs, directs, influences powerfully, or the like, in a relation of subjection, subordination, obligation, liability, or the like; as, to travel under a heavy load; to live under extreme oppression; to have fortitude under the evils of life; to have patience under pain, or under misfortunes; to behave like a Christian under reproaches and injuries; under the pains and penalties of the law; the condition under which one enters upon an office; under the necessity of obeying the laws; under vows of chastity.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Under Un"der, adv. In a lower, subject, or subordinate condition; in subjection; -- used chiefly in a few idiomatic phrases; as, to bring under, to reduce to subjection; to subdue; to keep under, to keep in subjection; to control; to go under, to be unsuccessful; to fail. I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection. --1 Cor. ix. 27. The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain Could not bring his proud soul under. --Moore. Note: Under is often used in composition with a verb to indicate lowness or inferiority in position or degree, in the act named by the verb; as, to underline; to undermine; to underprop.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Under Un"der, a. Lower in position, intensity, rank, or degree; subject; subordinate; -- generally in composition with a noun, and written with or without the hyphen; as, an undercurrent; undertone; underdose; under-garment; underofficer; undersheriff. Under covert (Zo["o]l.), one of the feathers situated beneath the bases of the quills in the wings and tail of a bird. See Illust. under Bird.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'under' is also used in phrasal verbs such as 'go under' and 'knuckle under'. 1. If a person or thing is under something, they are at a lower level than that thing, and may be covered or hidden by it. ...swimming in the pool or lying under an umbrella... Under a wide shelf that holds coffee jars stands a pile of magazines... She buried her head under the covers, pretending to be asleep... A path runs under the trees. PREP 2. In a place such as a sea, river, or swimming pool, if someone or something is under the water, they are fully in the water and covered by it. They said he'd been held under the water and drowned... Goldfish were swimming lazily in a group just under the surface. PREP • Under is also an adverb. When the water was up to his neck, a hand came from behind and pushed his head under. ADV: ADV after v 3. If you go under something, you move from one side to the other of something that is at a higher level than you. He went under a brick arch... A river boat passed under the bridge. PREP 4. Something that is under a layer of something, especially clothing, is covered by that layer. I was wearing two sweaters under the green army jacket... It was hard to see the colours under the layer of dust. PREP 5. You can use under before a noun to indicate that a person or thing is being affected by something or is going through a particular process. ...fishermen whose livelihoods are under threat... I'm rarely under pressure and my co-workers are always nice to me... Firemen said they had the blaze under control... He was rushed to court yesterday under armed guard. PREP 6. If something happens under particular circumstances or conditions, it happens when those circumstances or conditions exist. His best friend was killed by police under extremely questionable circumstances... Under normal conditions, only about 20 to 40 per cent of vitamin E is absorbed... PREP 7. If something happens under a law, agreement, or system, it happens because that law, agreement, or system says that it should happen. Under law, your employer has the right to hire a temporary worker to replace you... Under the Constitution, you cannot be tried twice for the same crime. PREP 8. If something happens under a particular person or government, it happens when that person or government is in power. There would be no new taxes under his leadership. ...the realities of life under a brutal dictatorship... PREP 9. If you study or work under a particular person, that person teaches you or tells you what to do. Kiefer was just one of the artists who had studied under Beuys in the early Sixties... I am the new manager and you will be working under me. PREP 10. If you do something under a particular name, you use that name instead of your real name. Were any of your books published under the name Amanda Fairchild?... The patient was registered under a false name. PREP 11. You use under to say which section of a list, book, or system something is in. This study is described under 'General Diseases of the Eye'... 'Where would it be?'—'Filed under C, second drawer down.' PREP 12. If something or someone is under a particular age or amount, they are less than that age or amount. ...jobs for those under 65... Expenditure this year should be just under 15 billion pounds. ? over PREP: PREP amount • Under is also an adverb. ...free childminding service for 5's and under. ADV: amount and ADV 13. under wraps: see wrap

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. prep. 1. Beneath, below. 2. Subordinate to, subject to, in subordination to. 3. In a less degree than. 4. For that which is less than. 5. Below, less than, with less than. 6. By means of. 7. Inferior to, in a state of inferiority to. 8. While burdened with, under the load of. 9. When exposed to, while suffering. 10. In a state of being liable to, subject to. 11. In, in the state or condition of. 12. Attested by, authorized by, signed by. 13. Subjected to, being the subject of. 14. Not having reached or arrived at. 15. Bearing, represented by. II. a. Lower in rank or degree, subject, subordinate, inferior. III. ad. In subjection.

Moby Thesaurus

answerable to, at a disadvantage, at the nadir, below, below deck, below par, below the mark, belowstairs, beneath, collateral, dependent, down, down below, downstairs, drunk, earlier, high, impaired, in the gutter, inferior, infra, least, least of all, less, lesser, low, lower, lowest, neath, nether, out of sight, secondary, short of, sub, subjacent, subject, subordinate to, tipsy, tributary, under par, under the influence, underfoot, underneath, underwater