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(), 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. 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; 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. 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. 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 (Zol.), one of the feathers situated beneath the bases of the quills in the wings and tail of a bird. See Illust. under Bird. スポンサード リンク
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