definitions

supine

[ adjective soo-pahyn; noun soo-pahyn ]
/ adjective suˈpaɪn; noun ˈsu paɪn /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR supine ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

RELATED WORDS

decumbent, flat, horizontal, level, procumbent, prone, prostrate, recumbent, do-nothing, dormant, dull, idle, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lax, lazy, lethargic, listless

Nearby words

superwoman, supinate, supination, supinator, supinator muscle, supine, supinely, suplex, supp., supp. rev. stat., suppawn

Origin of supine

First recorded in 1490–1500, supine is from the Latin word supīnus lying face up, inactive

Related forms

su·pine·ly, adverbsu·pine·ness, nounun·su·pine, adjective

Can be confused

prone prostate prostrate supine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for supine

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

supinely, adverbsupineness, noun

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for supine

supine

[ sōō-pīn′, sōō′pīn′ ]

adj.

Lying on the back; having the face upward.
Having the palm of the hand or sole of the foot upward.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.