underpin

WOTD – 13 March 2009    

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌʌn.dəˈpɪn/,X-SAMPA: /%Vn.d@"pIn/
• (US) IPA: /ˌʌn.dɚˈpɪn/, /ˈʌn.dɚˌpɪn/

• Audio (US)

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  Audio (US)

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Etymology

under- +‎ pin

Verb

underpin (third-person singular simple present underpins, present participle underpinning, simple past and past participle underpinned)

1. (transitive) To support from below with props or masonry.

   You should underpin the mine roof to prevent further collapse.

2. (transitive, figuratively) To give support to; to corroborate.

   Public confidence in politicians must underpin our democracy.

Translations

To support from below with props or masonry

• Czech: podepřít (cs)
• Dutch: funderen (nl), schragen (nl)
• Finnish: tukea (fi), pönkittää (fi)
• German: untermauern (de), stützen (de)

• Polish: podtrzymywać (pl)
• Russian: укреплять, усиливать
• Spanish: apuntalar (es), sustentar (es)
• Swedish: stödja (sv), stötta (sv)

To give support to

• Czech: podepřít (cs)
• Dutch: ondersteunen (nl), dragen (nl), schragen (nl)
• Finnish: tukea (fi), pönkittää (fi)
• German: unterstützen (de), stützen (de), untermauern (de)

• Polish: podtrzymywać (pl)
• Russian: поддерживать (ru) (podderživatʹ)
• Spanish: respaldar (es), sustentar (es)
• Swedish: stödja (sv), stötta (sv)