From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishunderun‧der /ˈʌndə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 preposition, adverb 1 belowUNDER/BELOW below or at a lower level than something, or covered by something OPP over Wendy had hidden the box under her bed. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. Write your name under your picture. I could see something glittering under the water. He was wearing a jacket under his coat. Under her arm, she carried a large portfolio. In summer, we often slept under the stars. I’d scare my mom by diving in and staying under (=staying under the water) for as long as I could. The bench collapsed under the weight of (=unable to support the weight of) so many people.2 less thanLESS less than a particular number, amount, age, or price OPP over These toys are not suitable for children under five. Most of the events listed cost under £60. I spend just under four hours a day seeing customers.and/or under Children aged 12 or under must be accompanied by an adult.be under age (=be too young to legally drink, have sex etc)3 having something done to itHAPPEN used to say what is being done to something or how it is being dealt withunder discussion/consideration/review etc The possibility of employing more staff is still under discussion (=being discussed, considered etc). All categories of expenditure are under review. Four new power stations are currently under construction. The port was coming under attack from enemy warships.4 affected by somethingEFFECT/INFLUENCE affected by a particular condition, influence, or situation She’s been under a lot of pressure at work.under the influence of alcohol/drink/drugs etc He was accused of driving while under the influence of alcohol. The operation was carried out while she was under general anaesthetic. I’m glad to see that you have everything under control. Two of our national parks are currently under threat from road schemes. The doctor injected something into my arm and I immediately felt myself going under (=becoming unconscious).5 → under ... conditions/circumstances6 law/agreementSAY/STATE according to a particular agreement, law etc the question of whether the trade is illegal under international law Under the terms of the agreement, the debt will be repaid over a 20-year period. 7 in powerCONTROL if something happens under a particular leader, government etc, it happens when they are in power a program initiated under President Clinton and continued under President Bush Under her leadership, the magazine’s circulation doubled in less than a year. Would it have been different under a Labour government?8 position at workLOW POSITION OR RANK if you work under someone, they have a higher position in the company, organization etc than you, and they help to direct your work She had a total staff of ten working under her. From 1847 to 1851 he served under Captain John Randolph Stokes. At Cambridge he studied under (=was a student of) F. R. Leavis.9 where information isTYPE used to say in which part of a book, list, or system particular information can be foundbe/be filed/be listed etc under The baby’s records are filed under the mother’s last name.10 different nameNAME OF A PERSON if you write or do something under a particular name, you do it using that name instead of your real name He made a few records under the name of Joe Ritchie.THESAURUSunder something that is under something else has that thing directly above it or covering itThe pen was under the desk.She had a T-shirt on under her sweater.below in a lower position than something else, though not always directly under itFrom the cliffs we could barely see the people on the beach below us.His apartment is below ours on the left.underneath under – used especially to emphasize that something covers, touches, or hides somethingThe girls wear shorts underneath their cheerleading skirts.I found the book underneath the sofa.beneath formal under or at a lower levelThey strolled hand in hand beneath the summer moon.The water lies just beneath the surface of the earth.
Examples from the Corpus
under• Children under 16 will not be admitted without an adult.• I've been under a lot of stress lately.• Selling alcohol to anyone under age 21 is a crime.• He's been working under Amato for six months.• In our library, novels are classified under Crime, Romance, and General.• She has at least 40 people under her at Shell.• Several of the employees under him complained of his bullying behavior.• He has a small scar under his nose.• Several of the stolen items were found buried under Mackie's house.• The organization is tax exempt under section 501 of the tax code.• The information is filed under the child's last name.• "Where's the cat?" "She crawled under the couch."• The pen fell under the desk.• If there's no one at home, just shove the letter under the door.• He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.• Krentz writes historical romances under the name Amanda Quick.• It is one of the largest mountain ranges under the Pacific ocean.• A small dog scampered into the room and dived under the table.• I could see something glittering under the water.• The Association of British Travel Agents is listed under "Trade Associations and Professional Bodies" in the Yellow Pages.under the weight of• There it stood, with its lifeless leather seat hanging down under the weight of absolutely nothing.• Cameron's brain reeled slightly under the weight of all these alternatives.• Almost at once she was back again staggering under the weight of an enormous round chocolate cake on a china platter.• Pad and pencil were more than Glover could take after a long night under the weight of his thought.• Except maybe me under the weight of my blunders.• He felt as if he weren't so much walking now as stumbling forward under the weight of that thought.• Some buildings collapsed under the weight of the ash from the volcano.• He stumbled under the weight of the branch and slithered into a hollow, ankle-deep in mud.• Its sister mission in Tumacacori was built of adobe and has crumbled under the weight of the years.• Paul staggered under the weight of two backpacks.just under• With interest and penalties, the tax bill came to just under $ 25,000.• As an aside the research revealed that just under half of the women questioned did not support the women's liberation movement.• Were it an elephant, our feet would be in its midriff, our heads just under its rib-cage.• First came the tiny bark beetles, whose larvae have now left intricate galleries just under the bark.• There she found her letter unopened, just under the carpet.• There, propped against the wall just under the coat pegs, was the empty frame.• Cut just under the leaf, where it joins the stem.• With just under two minutes left, Leicester led 88-83.under discussion/consideration/review etc• During the 1980s, the internal organisation of local authorities again came under review.• Inflation had clearly supplanted economic growth as the major concern of government economic policy by the end of the period under review.• Other initiatives A number of other centrally instigated initiatives are under way or under consideration.• State funding of campaigns is under consideration.• The commission has insisted that the memorial contain a significant educational component, but the contents are still under discussion.• This meant that the project came under review every year.• Some of the changes under discussion had already been implemented elsewhere.• The repeal of sections of the Bill of Rights has been under discussion since October 1995.under ... pressure• Tranmere just creaked and groaned under the pressure.• But the 2-1 favourite was under pressure almost from the outset and betting slips were already being crumpled before the second circuit.• It was the heyday of imperialism, and all the Great Powers were under pressure for competitive modernization.• Gav's under pressure from his missus to be home earlier while Paul's wife is about to walk out.• The plane also demonstrated reliability under the real-world pressures of a fast-paced airlift operation.• The cadres, under pressure, singled out alleged culprits on no pretext at all.• Managed-care companies that had kept prices low to attract new customers are under heavy pressure to increase earnings.• I knew a few words, but under pressure to perform forgot everything.under the name of• This is part of public law but tends to go under the name of constitutional law.• He secretly slipped into Paris under the name of Duong, and nostalgia for the city welled up in him.• Viett lived in Madgeburg under the name of Eva Schnell.• He dragged a telephone directory from a shelf and looked under the name of Farquarson.• He made a few records under the name of Joe Ritchie.• These calculators would be sold under the name of Noxid.• Persian Turkomans are entirely tribal and are marketed either as Bokharas or under the name of the specific tribe.• He remembered the books he had written under the name of William Wilson.under-under- /ʌndə $ -dər/ prefix 1 ENOUGH#less of an action or quality than is correct, needed, or desired underdevelopment undercooked cabbage2 UNDER/BELOWgoing under something an underpass (=a road or path that goes under another road)3 UNDER/BELOWinside or beneath other things undergarments4 LOW POSITION OR RANKless important or lower in rank a head gardener and three under-gardenersExamples from the Corpus
under-• undercooked meat• underwearOrigin under Old English 