under-the-counter
[ uhn-der-th uh-koun-ter ]
/ ˈʌn dər ðəˈkaʊn tər /
adjective
(of merchandise) sold clandestinely.
illegal; unauthorized: under-the-counter payments.
Nearby words
under the weather, under the wire, under way, under wraps, under-, under-the-counter, under-the-table, underachieve, underachiever, underact, underactive
Origin of under-the-counter
First recorded in 1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for under-the-counter
“Because of a few who make themselves rich from politics and under-the-counter money, all of us have to pay,” she blogged.
Italy’s Politicians Revealed by P.M. as Highest Paid in Europe|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST