ENGLISH
REFERENCE

under

adj.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈəndɝ// UK //ˈʌndɐ// un·der General-service Informal

adj. below or at a lower level than something else. You use this when one thing is covered by another or is lower in position.

adj. positioned directly below or beneath another object; covered or hidden by something else. Frequently used to indicate a lower rank or a state of being subject to authority.


SIMPLE

The cat is sleeping under the table.

CONTEXTUAL

The hikers took shelter under a large rock during the sudden afternoon rainstorm.

COMPLEX

The ancient ruins remained buried under layers of volcanic ash for centuries before being rediscovered by local farmers.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English under, from Old English under, from Proto-West Germanic undar, from Proto-Germanic under, from a merger of Proto-Indo-European (H)n̥dʰér (“under”) and h₁entér (“inside”). Akin to German unter, Dutch onder, Danish and Norwegian under; also Old High German untar (“under”), Sanskrit अन्तर् (antar, “within”), Latin infrā (“below, beneath”) and inter (“between, among”).

Usage

Typically functions as a preposition followed by a noun phrase; can also indicate being less than a specific number or age.

Pitfall

The book is under of the chairThe book is under the chairUnder is a preposition and does not require 'of' to link it to the following noun.

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