Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

12 PREP 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. ● ADV Under is also an adverb. □  …free childminding service for 5's and under.

13under wraps → see wrap

PREFIX under-

forms words that refer to an amount or value being too low or not enough. For example, if someone is underweight , their weight is lower than it should be.

under|achieve /ʌ ndərətʃiː v/ (underachieves , underachieving , underachieved ) VERB If someone underachieves in something such as school work or a job, they do not perform as well as they could. □ [V ] Some people might think I've underachieved in my job. ●  under|achiev|er (underachievers ) N‑COUNT □  He just wanted people to stop calling him disadvantaged, an underachiever.

u n|der a ge also underage

1 ADJ A person who is under age is legally too young to do something, for example to drink alcohol, have sex, or vote. □  Police questioned the owners over how the underage youngster was let in. □  …girls who have babies when they are under age.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Under age activities such as drinking or smoking are carried out by people who are legally too young to do them. □  The town has the top rate of underage pregnancies in Britain.

under|arm /ʌ ndərɑː ^r m/ (underarms )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] Underarm means in or for the areas under your arms, where they are joined to your body. □  …underarm deodorants. ● N‑COUNT [usu pl] Underarm is also a noun. □  Wash the feet, underarms and body surface using soap.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use underarm to describe actions, such as throwing a ball, in which you do not raise your arm above your shoulder. [BRIT ] □  …an underarm throw. ● ADV [ADV after v] Underarm is also an adverb. □  Practise throwing a ball underarm. [in AM, use underhand , underhanded ]

under|belly /ʌ ndə ^r beli/ (underbellies )

1 N‑COUNT The underbelly of something is the part of it that can be most easily attacked or criticized. □ [+ of ] In his view, small and medium-sized companies are the soft underbelly of the economy.

2 N‑COUNT The underbelly of an animal or a vehicle is the underneath part of it. □ [+ of ] The missiles emerge from the underbelly of the transport plane.

under|brush /ʌ ndə ^r brʌʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT Underbrush consists of bushes and plants growing close together under trees in a forest. [AM ] □  …the cool underbrush of the rain forest. in BRIT, use undergrowth

under|carriage /ʌ ndə ^r kær I dʒ/ (undercarriages ) N‑COUNT The undercarriage of an aeroplane is the part, including the wheels, which supports the aeroplane when it is on the ground and when it is landing or taking off. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use landing gear

under|class /ʌ ndə ^r klɑːs, -klæs/ (underclasses ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A country's underclass consists of those members of its population who are poor, and who have little chance of improving their situation. □  The basic problems of the inner-city underclass are inadequate housing and lack of jobs.

under|clothes /ʌ ndə ^r kloʊðz/ N‑PLURAL Your underclothes are the items of clothing that you wear next to your skin and under your other clothes. □  …from multi-patterned sweaters to attractive underclothes.

under|cloth|ing /ʌ ndə ^r kloʊð I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Underclothing is the same as underclothes . □  …a common brand of men's underclothing.

under|coat /ʌ ndə ^r koʊt/ (undercoats ) N‑VAR An undercoat is a covering of paint or varnish put onto a surface as a base for a final covering of paint or varnish. Compare topcoat .