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undermine - 4 dictionary results

un⋅der⋅mine

[uhn-der-mahyn or, especially for 1, 2, 4, uhn-der-mahyn]
–verb (used with object), -mined, -min⋅ing.
1. to injure or destroy by insidious activity or imperceptible stages, sometimes tending toward a sudden dramatic effect.
2. to attack by indirect, secret, or underhand means; attempt to subvert by stealth.
3. to make an excavation under; dig or tunnel beneath, as a military stronghold.
4. to weaken or cause to collapse by removing underlying support, as by digging away or eroding the foundation.

Origin:
1300–50; ME underminen. See under-, mine 2


un⋅der⋅min⋅er, noun
un⋅der⋅min⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
un·der·mine   (ŭn'dər-mīn')   
tr.v.   un·der·mined, un·der·min·ing, un·der·mines
  1. To weaken by wearing away a base or foundation: Water has undermined the stone foundations.
  2. To weaken, injure, or impair, often by degrees or imperceptibly; sap: Late hours can undermine one's health.
  3. To dig a mine or tunnel beneath.

Undermine

Un`der*mine"\, v. t. 1. To excavate the earth beneath, or the part of, especially for the purpose of causing to fall or be overthrown; to form a mine under; to sap; as, to undermine a wall.

A vast rock undermined from one end to the other, and a highway running through it. --Addison.

2. Fig.: To remove the foundation or support of by clandestine means; to ruin in an underhand way; as, to undermine reputation; to undermine the constitution of the state.

He should be warned who are like to undermine him. --Locke.
Language Translation for : undermine
Spanish: minar,
German: untergraben,
Japanese: 土台をくずす

undermine 
c.1300, undermyne, from under + mine (v.). The fig. sense is attested from c.1430. Cf. Du. ondermijnen, Dan. underminere, Ger. unterminiren.
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