un·der·cur·rent

[uhn-der-kur-uhnt, -kuhr-]
noun
1.
a tendency underlying or at variance with the obvious or superficial significance of words, actions, etc.: Even in his friendliest remarks, one could sense an undercurrent of hostility.
2.
a current, as of air or water, that flows below the upper currents or surface.
Origin:
1675–85; under- + current

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
undercurrent (ˈʌndəˌkʌrənt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a current that is not apparent at the surface or lies beneath another current
2.  an opinion, emotion, etc, lying beneath apparent feeling or meaning

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Undercurrent is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

undercurrent
1663, "stream of water or air flowing beneath the surface or beneath another current," a hybrid formed from under + current. The fig. sense of "suppressed or underlying character" is attested from 1817.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Yet beneath such squeamishness, an undercurrent of relative pride still pulses,
  defiantly.
Such opposition has always been a powerful undercurrent.
They're proud of their abilities to survive, but there's a strong undercurrent
  of wistfulness about their observations.
It is the undercurrent rather than the surface of his verse which moves with a
  strong religious conviction.
Related Words
undertow
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