understrapper

American

[uhn-der-strap-er] / ˈʌn dərˌstræp ər /

noun

an underling.

understrapper British

/ ˈʌndəˌstræpə /

noun

a less common word for underling

"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 understrapper

First recorded in 1695–1705; under- + strapper

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.

Michael Palin also threatened to "make the torture worse by shouting a lot", a role that fell to Sajid Javid, a Treasury understrapper who bellows a very great deal.

From The Guardian • May 14, 2013

Sometimes he instructed an understrapper to pretend to be making a trade with him.

From Black Forest Village Stories by Auerbach, Berthold

"I go to him," snorts Mr. Ellins, "to this understrapper of yours, this Mr. Percey—er——" "Sturgis," puts in George Wesley.

From On With Torchy by Lincoln, Foster

The General who did that was no understrapper.

From George Washington by Thayer, William Roscoe

I have no doubt that some understrapper from the Castle has had some communication with Mr. Sprugeon.

From The Prime Minister by Trollope, Anthony

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