subterranean
[ suhb-tuh-rey-nee-uhn ]
adjectiveAlso sub·ter·ra·ne·ous.
existing, situated, or operating below the surface of the earth; underground.
existing or operating out of sight or secretly; hidden or secret.
noun
a person or thing that is subterranean.
a subterrane.
Origin of subterranean
1Other words from subterranean
- sub·ter·ra·ne·an·ly, sub·ter·ra·ne·ous·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use subterranean in a sentence
It works subterraneanly in a thousand devious ways until the present hour.
Suspended Judgments | John Cowper Powys
British Dictionary definitions for subterranean
subterranean
/ (ˌsʌbtəˈreɪnɪən) /
adjective
Also: subterraneous, subterrestrial situated, living, or operating below the surface of the earth
existing or operating in concealment
Origin of subterranean
1C17: from Latin subterrāneus, from sub- + terra earth
Derived forms of subterranean
- subterraneanly or subterraneously, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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