underwater

[uhn-der-waw-ter, -wot-er]

adjective

1. existing or occurring under water.

2. designed to be used under water.

3. located below a ship's waterline.

adverb

1. beneath the water.

   to travel underwater.

noun

1. the water beneath the surface.

   cold currents in the underwater.

2. underwaters, the depths, as of a sea, lake, etc.

underwater

/ ˈʌndəˈwɔːtə /

adjective

1. being, occurring, or going under the surface of the water, esp the sea

   underwater exploration

2. nautical below the water line of a vessel

3. (of a stock option or other asset) having a market value below its purchase value

adverb

1. beneath the surface of the water

Word History and Origins

Origin of underwater¹

First recorded in 1620–30; under- + water

Example Sentences

Russia announced recently it had tested new nuclear weapons delivery systems - including a missile the Kremlin said could penetrate US defences and another that could go underwater to strike the US coast.

Read more on BBC

The stealthy submarine—which is difficult to detect because it can stay underwater continuously for long periods—won’t be deployed by South Korea’s navy any time soon.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had successfully tested a nuclear-capable, nuclear-powered underwater drone, in defiance of Washington's warnings.

Read more on Barron's

The "diving center" would connect to the underwater base, which would be anchored to the seabed to protect the overall habitat from waves and storms.

Read more on Barron's

It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted his post, though Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week that Russia has tested a new type of nuclear-powered cruise missile and a nuclear-powered underwater drone.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• submerged 
• undersea