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supine
[ adjective soo-pahyn; noun soo-pahyn ]
/ adjective suˈpaɪn; noun ˈsu paɪn /
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Definition of supine
adjective
lying on the back, face or front upward.
inactive, passive, or inert, especially from indolence or indifference.
(of the hand) having the palm upward.
noun
(in Latin) a noun form derived from verbs, appearing only in the accusative and the dative-ablative, as dictū in mirābile dictū, “wonderful to say.”
(in English) the simple infinitive of a verb preceded by to.
an analogous form in some other language.
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Origin of supine
First recorded in 1490–1500, supine is from the Latin word supīnus lying face up, inactive
OTHER WORDS FROM supine
su·pine·ly, adverbsu·pine·ness, nounun·su·pine, adjectiveWords nearby supine
superweed, superwoman, supinate, supination, supinator, supine, suplex, supp., suppawn, Suppé, suppedaneum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use supine in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for supine
supine
adjective (suːˈpaɪn, sjuː-, ˈsuːpaɪn, ˈsjuː-)
lying or resting on the back with the face, palm, etc, upwards
displaying no interest or animation; lethargic
noun (ˈsuːpaɪn, ˈsjuː-)
grammar a noun form derived from a verb in Latin, often used to express purpose with verbs of motionAbbreviation: sup
Derived forms of supine
supinely, adverbsupineness, nounWord Origin for supine
C15: from Latin supīnus related to sub under, up; (in grammatical sense) from Latin verbum supīnum supine word (the reason for this use is unknown)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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