underbelly

[uhn-der-bel-ee]

See more synonyms for underbelly on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural un·der·bel·lies.

the lower abdomen; posterior ventral area, as of an animal's body.
the lower surface of an object; underside: the underbelly of an airplane.
a vulnerable area; weak point: an attack on the soft underbelly of Europe.

a dark, seamy, often hidden area or side: a police officer continually exposed to the underbelly of society.

Origin of underbelly

First recorded in 1600–10; under- + belly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for underbelly

floor, bed, seat, belly, basement, underside, ground, footing, basis, groundwork, support, sole, rest, substratum, base, bedrock, foot, pedestal, nadir, substructure

Examples from the Web for underbelly

Contemporary Examples of underbelly

The press was at the height of its power when the Monica story began and Drudge was its underbelly.
How Monica Lewinsky Changed the Media
Tina Brown
May 9, 2014
Come to think of it, the underbelly of Clinton & Co. has been on display all summer.
The Clintons Can’t Shake Their Reputation for Ethical Shadiness
Lloyd Green
September 19, 2013

Historical Examples of underbelly

Goode was peering at the ivory inlay on the underbelly of the stock.
Murder in the Gunroom
Henry Beam Piper
The scout ship responded like a nervous horse and fluttered away as the rocket burned and arced beneath the underbelly.
The Sex Life of the Gods
Michael Knerr

British Dictionary definitions for underbelly

underbelly

noun plural -lies

the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground
a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region

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 underbelly

c.1600, from under + belly (n.). In figurative sense of "most vulnerable part" it is recorded from Churchill's 1942 speech. Sometimes used erroneously in sense of "seamy or sordid part" of anything.