underbear

U1N1D2E1R1B3E1A1R1
/ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈbɛə(ɹ)/

verb

To support, endure.

OriginMiddle English underberen ← Old English underberan →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

verbunderbear (third-person singular simple present underbears, present participle underbearing, simple past underbore or (obsolete) underbare, past participle underborne)

present singular third person underbears · participle present underbearing · past underbore · obsolete past underbare · participle past underborne

  1. To support, endure.
  2. transitiveTo line, guard or face a material, especially cloth.

    cloth of gold underborne with blue tinsel

    1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]

Origin

  1. Old Englishunderberan“to support, endure”
  2. Middle Englishunderberen“to support”
  3. Englishunderbear

From Middle English underberen (“to support”), from Old English underberan (“to support, endure”), equivalent to under- + bear.

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with underbear

aretherewherecarecompareairsharehairmaryrepairfairbearwearrarelayerpairawareprepareprayermayorterrorPierresparebare
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

underbear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbear

MLA

“underbear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbear. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underbear,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underbear.

Source: underbear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.