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undersurface

undersurface

1 5.1
The lower side of something, like a table or leaf
  • noun
  • /ˈʌndərˌsɜːrfɪs/
translation icon : parte inferior
  • It was difficult to tell what was dried blood and what was dirt on her knees, but I dabbed until I found the pink undersurface of skin.

Examples

  • Instead, wipes were taken using the undersurface of the fingers, excluding the thumb.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The lesser omentum is attached to the top edge of the stomach and extends to the undersurface of the liver.

    Blog text (33)
  • It felt like linoleum, with a yielding undersurface that spoke of termites or fire.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Many people, some very familiar with the Arctic, are not aware that algae live within the interstices of the ice and on its undersurface and fuel polar ocean ecosystems the way free-living planktonic algae do in other waters.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Third, although sampling was done with the undersurface of the fingers rather than the fingertips, because the guidelines caution against using fingertips, a second side-to-side s-shaped pass was included in addition to the first side-to-side and the following top-to-bottom motion.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Developed in the dermis and capable of beating rooted teeth, dermal bone was laid down over the entire original chondrocranium on the undersurface of the palatoquadrate and the anterior portion of Meckel's cartilage.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The undersurface of the table is covered in dust, showing that it hasn't been cleaned in a while.

  • She examined the undersurface of the leaf to look for signs of pests.

  • The artist painted a scene on the undersurface of the skateboard, making it unique and eye-catching.

Synonyms

bottom
vsundersurface
1.0

The lowest part or surface of a thing, often under water

focuses on a lower side or surface, not the absolute lowest point
underside
vsundersurface
26 2.9

The lower side of something that faces the ground

is the alternative form with identical meaning and use
underbelly
vsundersurface
5 6.1

The bottom surface of an object or animal

is the general word for any lower side or surface
underpart
vsundersurface
  • Specialized
1 7.8

The lower side of an animal's body, often lighter in color

is broader, used for any lower surface not only animals
underbody
vsundersurface
  • Specialized
1 4.4

Lower outside part of a vehicle that protects its parts from damage

is a general term for lower sides, not limited to machines

Antonyms

3.7

The top surface of a thing like a table

Surface Forms

undersurface singular
undersurfaces plural

Morphology

undersurface = surface (transparent) = under + under + surface

The word is a straightforward prefixation of 'surface' with 'under-', yielding 'the lower side', which learners can derive from known parts.

Etymology

Undersurface comes from the simple parts under ('below') and surface ('outer side'). So the undersurface is the surface that is below something — the lower side of an object, like the bottom of a leaf or the under part of a table.