underbelly

[ uhn-der-bel-ee ]
See synonyms for underbelly on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural un·der·bel·lies.
  1. the lower abdomen; posterior ventral area, as of an animal's body.

  2. the lower surface of an object; underside: the underbelly of an airplane.

  1. a vulnerable area; weak point: an attack on the soft underbelly of Europe.

  2. a dark, seamy, often hidden area or side: a police officer continually exposed to the underbelly of society.

Origin of underbelly

1
First recorded in 1600–10; under- + belly

Words Nearby underbelly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use underbelly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for underbelly

underbelly

/ (ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ) /


nounplural -lies
  1. the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground

  2. a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region

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