supine

[adjective soo-pahyn; noun soo-pahyn]

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.

Nearby words

Origin of supine

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

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

Can be confusedprone prostate prostrate supine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for supinely

But do not suppose that all this while I was supinely and tamely acquiescing in the fate that awaited me.
A Middy of the Slave Squadron|Harry Collingwood
Or does the slayer of oxen yet sleep, supinely stertorous, heavy with the lingering fumes of the mighty Bourbon?
Kentucky in American Letters, v. 1 of 2|John Wilson Townsend
But when he reached the Exchange doors he drifted in as silently and supinely as any drift-log would float into the new crevasse.
Bonaventure|George Washington Cable
We have, I say, supinely permitted each insult to pass unchallenged.
The Eternal Boy|Owen Johnson

The Chinese had supinely permitted this dangerous power to grow up among their tributaries on the north.
Historic Tales, Vol. 12 (of 15)|Charles Morris

British Dictionary definitions for supinely

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 Formssupinely, 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

Word Origin and History for supinely

supine

adj.

c.1500, from Latin supinus "turned or thrown backwards, inactive, indolent," related to sub "under" (see sub-). The grammatical use for "Latin verbal noun formed from the past participle stem" is from Late Latin supinum verbum "supine verb," perhaps so called because, though furnished with a noun case ending, it "falls back" on the verb.

Medicine definitions for supinely

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.