undertow

American  

[uhn-der-toh] / ˈʌn dərˌtoʊ /

noun

1. the seaward, subsurface flow or draft of water from waves breaking on a beach.

2. any strong current below the surface of a body of water, moving in a direction different from that of the surface current.

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undertow British  

/ ˈʌndəˌtəʊ /

noun

1. the seaward undercurrent following the breaking of a wave on the beach

2. any strong undercurrent flowing in a different direction from the surface current

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undertow Scientific  

/ ŭn′dər-tō′ /

1. An underwater current flowing strongly away from shore. Undertows are generally caused by the seaward return of water from waves that have broken against the shore.

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Related Words

Undertow, underset, riptide are terms for a usually strong undercurrent in the ocean, contrary to the direction of surface water. Undertow and another nautical term, underset (a set or current contrary to the general set of the water, or contrary to the wind), came into notice early in the 19th century. The former is still in general use along the Atlantic coast; the latter now less well known. Rip, in use in the United States by the late 18th century, properly means a violently disturbed place in a body of water, usually by the meeting of opposing tides. Of recent years, in the form riptide, it has also been used, especially on the Pacific coast, to mean much the same as undertow, dangerous to bathers where heavy surf prevails.

Etymology

Origin of undertow

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

Explanation

If you're nervous about swimming in the ocean, it may be because you were warned as a child about the undertow, or strong current, that might pull you beneath the surface. When lifeguards or nervous parents talk about an undertow, they mean a rip current or rip tide, a channel that can form between breaking waves and has been known to pull swimmers rapidly out to sea. The term undertow isn't really accurate, since these currents won't pull you under the water. A figurative meaning of undertow is "underlying mood or feeling." For example, your festive birthday party might have an undertow of sadness if your best friend didn't show up.

Example Sentences

I few days after his death, I asked the writer Jeff Sharlet, during an interview for Salon about his new book "The Undertow," what he had learned from his conversations with Belafonte.

From Salon • May 29, 2023

And one way to think about the Red Undertow is that while women make up half the electorate, so do men.

From Washington Post • Oct. 16, 2018

The other was Undertow at the no-longer-existing Party Hall at 21st and Madison.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2017

As well as promoting the book, they’re also on tour now ahead of the release of new album Undertow, on the band’s new imprint Lower Floor.

From The Guardian • Apr. 3, 2017

Undertow, un′dėr-tō, n. an undercurrent in a different direction from that at the surface—seen esp. at the mouths of great rivers, or where tide and half-tides prevail.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Related Words

• undercurrent