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underarm

American  
[uhn-der-ahrm] / ˈʌn dərˌɑrm /

adjective

  1. of, situated, or for use under the arm or in the armpit.

    an underarm deodorant.

  2. underhand.

    an underarm pitch in softball.


noun

  • underarms
    plural
  1. armpit.

adverb

  1. underhand.

underarm British  
/ ˈʌndərˌɑːm /

adjective

  1. (of a measurement) extending along the arm from wrist to armpit

  2. sport of or denoting a style of throwing, bowling, or serving in which the hand is swung below shoulder level

  3. below the arm

"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

adverb

  1. in an underarm style

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of underarm

First recorded in 1810–20; under- + arm 1


Vocabulary lists containing underarm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Patients who lost weight on GLP-1s have recently come to Dr. Darren Smith, a plastic surgeon in New York, seeking to get rid of loose underarm skin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Everyone was extremely friendly and on the fashion front, no popped collars in sight — only gym clothes and cool-looking fencing gear: mask, chest protector and underarm protector.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

The bowler must ask the striker if he or she is ready and then yell "play" as the jingling ball is delivered underarm with at least one bounce.

From Barron's ● Nov. 22, 2025

At one point, she resorted to underarm serves.

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2025

I’m conscious of my stained uniform: do I smell of underarm sweat, of chicken fat?

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

To patients whose underarms are mildly or moderately sagging, Smith has been suggesting a minimally invasive, three-step alternative—one he does not recommend to those with significantly loose skin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

While the aluminum in antiperspirants can cause a type of allergic reaction called contact dermatitis for a small minority of people with sensitive skin, it’s usually perfectly safe for most underarms, she adds.

From National Geographic ● Sep. 6, 2023

“He made it a little bit crazy in that second set and out of nowhere started to do these underarms serves and slices and drop shots, and just breaking up the rhythm.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2022

"Remember, the harness needs to be quite tight under people's underarms," the navy diver told him.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2022

Once he was sure of his balance, he stumbled forward, exposed hands buried in his underarms to try to regain some feeling.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

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