1505
understanding
feeling etc, which has been expressed or shown); EMPHASIZE: She underlined her disapproval of the proceedings by walking out.
un-der-ling /'ʌndəlɪŋ || -ər-/ n derog a person of low rank or position in relation to another; SUBORDINATE: The chairman did not attend the meeting; he sent one of his underlings.
un-der-manned /ˌʌndə'mænd || -ər-/ adj (e.g. of a factory or ship) not having enough workers; UNDERSTAFFED ➔ opposite OVERMANNED
un-der-men-tioned /ˌʌndə'menʃənd || -dər-/ adj [A] BrE fml which is/are mentioned later in the same piece of writing: Please supply me with the undermentioned goods ... || [also n, the+P] The undermentioned will report for duty ... ➔ compare ABOVE-MENTIONED
Under Milk Wood (1954) a play by the Welsh poet Dylan THOMAS, originally performed on the radio, which is set in an imaginary fishing village in Wales and describes, often in a humorous way, the people who live there and the things they do on a particular day
un-der-mine /ˌʌndə'maɪn || -ər-/ v [T] 1 to wear away the earth beneath, removing support: The house is unsafe since the foundations were undermined by floods. 2 to weaken or destroy gradually: Criticism undermines his confidence. | These incidents could seriously undermine support for the police.
un-der-neath¹ /ˌʌndə'niːθ || -ər-/ prep, adv under; below: The letter was pushed underneath the door. | Underneath his rather severe manner, he is really very kind-hearted. | She wore a fur coat with nothing underneath. ➔ see UNDER (USAGE)
underneath² n [(the)S] BrE infml the lower part of something; bottom surface; UNDERSIDE: There's a crack on the underneath of the bowl.
un-der-nour-ished /ˌʌndə'nɜːrɪʃt || ˌʌndər'nɜːr-, -'nʌ-/ adj having eaten too little food, or food of too low quality, and suffering lack of growth and development: This child is seriously undernourished. -ishment n [U]
un-der-pants /'ʌndəpænts || -ər-/ n [P] underclothes covering the lower part of the body and sometimes the top part of the legs ➔ compare KNICKERS; see PAIR (USAGE)
un-der-pass /'ʌndəpɑːs || 'ʌndərpæs/ n a passage, path, or road built beneath a road or railway line
un-der-pay /ˌʌndə'peɪl || -ər-/ v -paid /'peɪd/ [T] to pay (someone) too little for their work: We're overworked and underpaid! ➔ opposite OVERPAY
un-der-pin /ˌʌndə'pɪn || -ər-/ v -nn- [T] 1. to support (especially a wall) from below, e.g. by means of a solid piece of material 2 to give strength or support to (especially an argument): A solid basis of evidence underpins her theory.
un-der-play /ˌʌndə'pleɪ || -ər-/ v [T] 1 to make (something) appear less important than it really is; PLAY DOWN 2 to UNDERACT 3 underplay one's hand to take careful action, showing less of one's plans, intentions, or strength than one could
un-der-priv-i-leged /ˌʌndə'prɪvəlɪdʒd || -dər-/ adj euph (of a person) not having the advantages of an average person's life; poor, living in bad housing, having low-quality education etc: underprivileged children || [also n, the+P] special help for the underprivileged
un-der-rate /ˌʌndə'reɪt/ v [T] to have too low an opinion of the quality of; UNDERESTIMATE: It would be dangerous to underrate his ability. | a much underrated film ➔ opposite OVERRATE
un-der-re-source /ˌʌndərɪ'zːrs, -'sɔːrs || -ɔːrs/ v [T] to provide too little money, equipment etc for: The project will never be a success if it continues to be underresourced.
un-der-score /ˌʌndə'skɔːr || -ər-/ v [T] to UNDERLINE
un-der-seal /'ʌndəsiːl || -dər-/ v [T] to put a coat of a thick paint, usually containing rubber, on the UNDERSIDE of (a motor vehicle) to help prevent RUST from forming
un-der-sec-re-ta-ry /ˌʌndə'sekrɪsteri || ˌndər'sekrrəteri/ n 1 (in Britain) a person who is in charge of the daily work of a government department, either a member of parliament of the governing party (parliamentary undersecretary) or a CIVIL SERVANT (permanent undersecretary), and who helps and advises a minister 2 AmE (in other countries) a very high official in a government department
un-der-sell /ˌʌndə'sel || -ər-/ v -sold /'səʊld/ [T] 1 to sell goods at a lower price than (a business competitor) 2 to put too low a value on the good qualities of (a person or thing), especially when persuading or selling: I think he undersold himself at the job interview.
un-der-sexed /ˌʌndə'sekst || -ər-/ adj having unusually little sexual desire ➔ opposite OVERSEXED
un-der-shirt /'ʌndəʃɜːrt || 'ʌndərʃɜrt/ n AmE for VEST
un-der-side /'ʌndəsaɪd || -ər-/ n [(the) S] the part below; lower side or surface: The underside of the rock was covered with seaweed.
un-der-signed /ˌʌndəsaɪnd || -ər-/ adj [A] fml whose signature appears beneath this writing: [also n, the+P] We, the undersigned, wish to be considered for election: John Smith, Joe Brown, Mary White.
un-der-sized /ˌʌndə'saɪzd || -ər-/ also un-der-size /-'saɪz/ adj smaller than usual; too small
un-der-staffed /ˌʌndə'stɑːft || ˌʌndər'stæft/ adj having too few workers, or fewer than usual; UNDERMANNED: The office is understaffed since the last secretary left. ➔ opposite OVERSTAFFED
un-der-stand /ˌʌndə'stænd || -ər-/ v -stood /'stʊd/ [not in progressive forms] 1 [I;T] to know or recognize the meaning of (something) or the words spoken by (someone): Do you understand this notice? I can't understand modern art. | She spoke so fast I couldn't understand her. | Don't you ever do that again, do you understand? (=a threat) | I found I could easily make myself understood (=make my meaning clear) by using sign language. 2 [T] to know well the character of and have a sympathetic feeling towards (a person, their behaviour etc): If he really loves her he'll understand. | A good teacher needs to understand children. | I can't understand him when he behaves so badly. | [+wh-] I can understand why you're annoyed/how you feel. | Now we understand one another/each other (=each knows what the other wants and an agreement has been reached) we can proceed. 3 [(about);T] to know about and be able to explain the nature of (something), especially through learning or experience: I've never really understood the political situation in the Lebanon. | [+wh-] You don't need to understand how computers work in order to use them. | He doesn't really understand about money. (=doesn't know how to deal with it wisely) 4 [T] often fml or polite to have been informed; have found out (a fact): [+that] I understand you're coming to work for us. | 'She's coming to work for us.' 'So I understand.' | I understood he was married, but apparently he isn't. | Am I to understand (=are you telling me) that you do not intend to pay this bill? | He gave me to understand (=told me) that he would not be returning. || [+obj+to-v] The ex-president is understood to have secretly left the country. (=it is thought he has left) 5 [T] to take or judge (as the meaning); INTERPRET: As I understand it (=according to my judgment of the situation), our real problem is lack of time not lack of money. | He made a few encouraging comments, and I understood this as meaning he approved. || [+that)] By 'children' it's understood (that) they mean people under 14. || [+obj+to-v] We understood them to mean that they would wait for us. 6 [T often pass.] to add in the mind (something not stated or expressed, especially a word) to make a meaning complete: When I say 'Come and help', the object 'me' is understood.
un-der-stand-a-ble /ˌʌndə'stændəbl || ˌʌndər-/ adj 1 that can be understood; COMPREHENSIBLE: The loudspeaker announcement was barely understandable. 2 as might have been expected; reasonable: It was quite understandable that he was annoyed. -bly adv: He was understandably annoyed.
un-der-stand-ing¹ /ˌʌndə'stændɪŋ || -ər-/ n 1 [U] the ability to know and learn; INTELLIGENCE: beyond a child's understanding 2 [S;U(of)] knowledge of the nature of something, based especially on learning or experience: I have little understanding/only a limited understanding of economics/computers/American politics. 3 [C usually sing.] a private, not formal, agreement: We have come to an understanding. (=reached an agreement) || [+that] I lent him money on the understanding that (=on condition that) he paid it back the next month. 4 [U(of)] the way in which one judges the meaning of something; INTERPRETATION: According to my understanding of the letter, it means something quite different. 5 [S/U] a sympathetic relationship based on knowing