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belowground

American  
[bih-loh-ground] / bɪˈloʊˌgraʊnd /

adjective

  1. situated beneath the surface of the earth; subterranean.

  2. no longer living; buried, as in a cemetery (usually used predicatively).

    All those who might have known about the incident are now belowground.


Etymology

Origin of belowground

First recorded in 1955–60; below + ground 1

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.

"While belowground processes are very important for ecosystem function, they are poorly understood compared to above-ground processes because they are more difficult to study," said Wong.

From Science Daily

The basic chemical make-up of the aboveground and belowground acylsugars were noticeably different, so much so that they could be defined as different classes of acylsugars entirely.

From Science Daily

For example, if voles are getting more of their energy from belowground sources, they may be consuming fewer plants, which could increase carbon storage in aboveground ecosystems.

From Science Daily

Sandia led the computational modeling of the belowground system, while the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used the numerical results to estimate the economic viability of the system through their aboveground power plant and economic model.

From Science Daily

Unlike in conventional fighting, the battlefield will be three-dimensional virtually every step of the way, with tunnels belowground, debris-strewn streets and firing posts from still-standing building firing down on advancing forces.

From Washington Times