underbelly of life in the city (= the parts that are usually hidden), s*

under-bid /.Anda'bid; NAmE-dor'b-l verb (under-bid-ding, under-bid, under bid) [VN] to make a lower bid than sb else, for example when trying to win a contract

tfM&X (  )

under-brush /'AndabrAj*; NAmE -darb-/ noun [U] (NAmE) = UNDERGROWTH

under-car-riage /'Andakaerid3; NAmE -dark-/ (also landing gear) noun the part of an aircraft, including the wheels, that supports it when it is landing and taking off (      — picture o page Rii

undercharge/,Anda'tJa:d3; NAmE ,Andar'tXa:rd3/ verb[V, VN] ~ (sb) (for sth) to charge too little for sth, usually by mistake (       ).& EEQovercharge

under-class /'Andaklais; NAmE 'Andarklaes/ noun [sing.] a social class that is very poor and has no status XA/lS M;        WtM: The long-term unemployed are becoming

a new underclass.

underclass-man /.Anda'klaisman; NAmE -dar'klaes-/, underclass-woman /, Anda'klaiswuman; NAmE -dar'klaes-/ noun {pi. -men /-men/, -women /-wimin/) (in the US) a student in the first or second year of high school or college   X

) —compare upperclassman underclothes /'Andaklaudz; NAmE 'Andarkloubz/ noun [pi.] (also under-cloth-ing /-klaudirj; NAmE -klou-/ [U]) (formal) = underwear

undercoat /'Andakaut; NAmE 'Andarkout/ noun [C, U] a layer of paint under the final layer; the paint used for making this       rt&M; its II 14 — compare

topcoat(I)

undercook /.Anda'kuk; NAmE -dar'k-/ verb [VN] [usually passive] to not cook sth for long enough, with the result that it is not ready to eat

undercover /.Anda'kAva(r); NAmE -dar'k-/ adj. [usually before noun] working or done secretly in order to find out information for the police, a government, etc. XfbfliJ; BfA#&X fAXjftbr&X an undercover agent SI o an undercover operation/investigation fk'if ifo / iJf g ► under-cover adv.: The illegal payments were discovered by a journalist working undercover. ^ #

undercurrent /'AndakArant; NAmE -dark3:r-/ noun ~ (of sth) a feeling, especially a negative one, that is hidden but whose effects are felt ( Xfalh

ffi $J ) EYJ71 undertone : I detect an undercurrent of resentment towards the new proposals, be S ^ ?!J A /§r ll

undercut verb, noun

mverb /.Anda'kAt; NAmE .Andar'kAt / (under-cut-ting, under-cut, under cut) [VN] 1 to sell goods or services at a lower price than your competitors fij ( jft )

UHffiX (     to undercut sb’s

prices 0 We were able to undercut

our European rivals by 5%. bcClf£lAU&Xbed 5% (ft fa H o 2 to make sth weaker or less likely to be effective )§ij Jj5j ; fa |# d A ETTCl undermine : Some members of the board were trying to undercut the chairman’s authority.

UIJo

m noun /'AndakAt; NAmE ‘AndarkAt/ a way of cutting sb’s hair in which the hair is left quite long on top but the hair on the lower part of the head is cut much shorter MAAS;    -picture o

HAIR

underdeveloped /.Andadi'velapt; NAmE -dardi-/ adj. (of a country, society, etc. ID K , ?±      #) having few

industries and a low standard of living XfaXAfa #J; XfaTk.X'fft#}; jMSFAW — compare developed(I), DEVELOPING, UNDEVELOPED IlldJ ‘A developing country’ is now the usual expression. JJfi b: # ® devel­oping country ( ) o ► under-devel-op-ment

noun [U]

underdog /'AndadDg; NAmE 'Andardorg/ noun a person, team, country, etc. that is thought to be in a weaker position than others and therefore not likely to be successful, win a competition, etc. faXA^lbJA ( A0

mm% ) ;      faMXM##: Beforejhe

game we were definitely the underdogs. be CI X: If lift fa Ao 0 In politics, he was a champion of the underdog (= always fought for the rights of weaker people). temSX,

underdone /.Anda'dAn; NAmE -dar'd-/ adj. not com­pletely cooked A M B $£}; A A Eft — compare well DONE, OVERDONE at OVERDO(3) underemployed /.Andarim'ploid/ adj. not having enough work to do; not having work that makes full use of your skills and abilities AAAHik&iJ ( battik A

fa. &fttfa^lftXftf#, AMlftXjbXf

&m)

underesti mate verb, noun

m verb /.Andar'estimeit/ 1 to think or guess that the amount, cost or size of sth is smaller than it really is jl£ fa;       • • • fa it X fa: [VN] to underestimate the cost of the

project ff5ifa*S § Eft AX 0 We underestimated the time it would take to get there, be i\l fa T fa ffl M Jftf 6ft H |pj 0 [also V wh-] 2 [VN] to not realize how good, strong, determined, etc. sb really is XX • ■ iA ifa X X ( AlltUX 6$ ) ; j&fa; XA1: Never underestimate your opponent. faXST ScfafaEft)ftXo rma overestimate — compare

UNDERRATE

mnoun /.Andar'estimat/ (also under-esti-ma-tion /.Andar- .esti'meijn/ [C, U]) an estimate about the size, cost, etc. of sth that is too low fa fa ; $£     : My guess of 400

proved to be a serious underestimate. bc3f 400,

faj“]tlftfafao H23 OVERESTIMATE

under-expose /.Andarik'spauz; NAmE -'spouz/ verb [VN] [usually passive] to allow too little light to reach the film when you take a photograph faB§X;Xfa PT3H overex­pose

underfed /.Anda'fed; NAmE -dar'f-/ adj. having had too little food to eat #!$fXfa&ft; 'AfcfaEft E£H malnour­ished cna OVERFED

underfloor /,Anda'flo:(r); NAmE -dar’f-/ adj. [only before noun] placed underneath the floor te fa A X ffi Eft : underfloor heating

underfoot /,Anda'fot; NAmE -dar'f-/ adv. under your feet; on the ground where you are walking itPX; te ( PTtbJ ) bfeffiX: The ground was dry and firm under­foot. ®X^^J±MXXX5io 0 I was nearly trampled underfoot by the crowd of people rushing for the door.

A ft AH      o

underfund ed /.Anda'fAndid; NAmE -dar'f-/ adj. (of an organization, a project, etc. #1     g l£) not having

enough money to spend, with the result that it cannot function well IiXj£W;  6X seriously/

chronically underfunded AS / undergarment /'Andagaimant; NAmE -dargairm-/ noun (old-fashioned or formal) a piece of underwear lb A undergo /.Anda'gau; NAmE .Andar'gou/ verb (under­went /-'went/, under-gone /-'gun; NAmE -'gain; -'ga:n/) [VN] to experience sth, especially a change or sth unpleasant^®, XftWff ) : to

undergo tests/trials/repairs H S    0 My

mother underwent major surgery last year, be # ^ A XzftMAXXo o Some children undergo a complete transformation when they become teenagers. — ® JLit

undergradu ate /,Anda'graed3uat; NAmE -dar'g-/ noun a university or college student who is studying for their first degree XS4X: a first-year undergraduate A ^ —* O an undergraduate course/student/degree A^Xf4i$bi /    o note at student

underground o-w adj., adv., noun a adj. /'Andagraund; NAmE -darg-/ [only before noun] 1 under the surface of the ground itk X ; fa, ffi VJ. T (H]: underground passages/caves/streams fa T ® il / P A / M rift 0 underground cables fa X fa fa — compare overground 2 operating secretly and often illegally, especially against a government li ^ (ft, SfaSJ, B# fa W, faX^J ( Xfs        ) : an underground resist­

ance movement faXIfttf/LiS^J

a adv. /.Anda'graund; NAmE -dar'g-/ 1 under the surface