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underarm

American  
[uhn-der-ahrm] / ˈʌn dərˌɑrm /

adjective

  1. of, situated, or for use under the arm or in the armpit.

    an underarm deodorant.

  2. underhand.

    an underarm pitch in softball.

noun

  1. armpit.

adverb

  1. underhand.

underarm British  
/ ˈʌndərˌɑːm /

adjective

  1. (of a measurement) extending along the arm from wrist to armpit

  2. sport of or denoting a style of throwing, bowling, or serving in which the hand is swung below shoulder level

  3. below the arm

"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

adverb

  1. in an underarm style

"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

Etymology

Origin of underarm

First recorded in 1810–20; under- + arm 1

Vocabulary lists containing underarm

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: under-

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Moutet has used the underarm tactic before, sending down six of them during his second-round win against Daniel Altmaier in Mallorca last year.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

The bowler must ask the striker if he or she is ready and then yell "play" as the ball is delivered underarm with at least one bounce.

From Barron's • Nov. 23, 2025

Bowling is underarm, unlike in the traditional game.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

At one point, she resorted to underarm serves.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

Have you noticed panic can lead to big-time underarm odor?

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.