Main Entry:

¹un·der

Pronunciation:

\ˈən-dər\

Function:

adverb

Etymology:

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English; akin to Old High German untar under, Latin inferus situated beneath, lower, infra below, Sanskrit adha

Date:

before 12th century

1 : in or into a position below or beneath something 2 : below or short of some quantity, level, or limit <$10 or under> —often used in combination <understaffed> 3 : in or into a condition of subjection, subordination, or unconsciousness <put the patient under for surgery> 4 : down to defeat, ruin, or death <weaker competitors will be forced under> 5 : so as to be covered <buried under by the avalanche>