underbelly
[ uhn-der-bel-ee ]
/ ˈʌn dərˌbɛl i /
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.
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RELATED WORDS
floor, bed, seat, belly, basement, underside, ground, footing, basis, groundwork, support, sole, rest, substratum, base, bedrock, foot, pedestal, nadir, substructure
Nearby words
- underactive,
- underage,
- underarm,
- underarmed,
- underbearer,
- underbid,
- underbite,
- underbodice,
- underbody,
- underboss
Origin of underbelly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for underbelly
The press was at the height of its power when the Monica story began and Drudge was its underbelly.
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|DAILY BEASTGoode was peering at the ivory inlay on the underbelly of the stock.
Murder in the Gunroom|Henry Beam PiperThe 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
underbelly
/ (ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ) /
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
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper