underwise

U1N1D2E1R1W4I1S1E1

adverb

On or to the bottom or underside of; beneath; underneath.

Scrabble 13

Meanings

underwise1

adverbunderwise (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOn or to the bottom or underside of; beneath; underneath.

    […] next stuff the skin of the leg of mutton, sew it underwise, wrap the whole in a cloth, and braize it […]

    1822, Louis Eustache Ude, The French cook
    1 more example

    In forming double volute springs, plates of sheet steel are employed. These are heated and are then introduced underwise, one at a time, beneath the mandrel B upon the support I, until the central part of the plate is beneath the mandrel.

    1858, United States Congress, Congressional edition
  2. not comparableBelow; hereafter.

    Unless underwise provided by this law, decisions shall be given by a majority of votes of the members present, other than the President.

    1924, League of Nations, Official journal
    2 more examples

    Then as how to continue the quotations self-praise, and description of matters as hardly never occured^([sic]) or transpirated, follows underwise: […]

    1866, “A New View of an Old Riot”, in Charles Dickens, editor, All the Year Round

    All other grants, gifts and devises, that have been, or may hereafter be, made to this state and not underwise appropriated by the terms of the grant, gift, or devise the interest arising from all the funds mentioned […]

    1962, Columbia University. Legislative Drafting Research Fund, United States, Constitutions of the United States, national and State
noununderwise (plural not attested)
  1. no pluralUnderside.

    The same firm, in a suction dredger built specially for the Rangoon port improvements, fit very powerful water jets on the underwise of the suction nozzle to disturb the hard, sandy bottom.

    1909, Cassier's Magazine
    1 more example

    [...] but a certain amount of clearance is allowed in all the clips to enable the pipes to expand and contract freely according to their temperature, or to accommodate themselves to any underwise movement.

    1905, Cornelius McLeod Percy, Frank Percy, George H. Winstanley, The mechanical equipment of collieries

underwise2

adjectiveunderwise (comparative more underwise, superlative most underwise)

comparative more underwise · superlative most underwise

  1. Lacking adequate or sufficient wisdom; insufficiently wise.

    I know it's overclever and underwise in places.

    2006, Tim Beaglehole, A life of J.C. Beaglehole: New Zealand scholar
    3 more examples

    Let us, therefore, be neither overwise nor underwise, neither hasty nor tardy, but liberal, tolerant, and full of hope.

    1847, The herald of truth

    Some underwise people, ministers even affect to despise the knowledge that comes through books, and pretend to draw all their inspirations from the incidents and associations of common life; […]

    1877, Washington Gladden, The Christian way: whither it leads and how to go on

    These few illustrative examples will suggest that if the proofreader's assistant is or remains "underwise" or inattentive in the matter of adapted pauses in reading manuscript, and fails to clearly sound sibilants and coalescents, some one will "lose out" on proof nunciat ion.

    1921, American printer and lithographer

Origin

underwise · adverb, noun

From under + -wise.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

underwise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underwise

MLA

“underwise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underwise. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underwise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underwise.

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