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underdrive

American  
[uhn-der-drahyv] / ˈʌn dərˌdraɪv /

noun

  1. a speed-reducing gear device in a motor vehicle that causes the output drive shaft to rotate at a slower rate.

Etymology

Origin of underdrive

First recorded in 1925–30; under- ( def. ) + drive ( def. )

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.

Woefully underdrive is more like it.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.