dictionary definitions for "underground"


From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Subway \Sub"way`\, n.
     1. An underground way or gallery; especially, a passage under
        a street, in which water mains, gas mains, telegraph
        wires, etc., are conducted.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An underground railroad, usually having trains powered by
        electricity provided by an electric line running through
        the underground tunnel. It is usually confined to the
        center portion of cities; -- called also tube, and in
        Britain, underground. In certain other countries (as in
        France or Russia) it is called the metro.
        [PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Underground \Un"der*ground`\, a.
     1. Being below the surface of the ground; as, an underground
        story or apartment.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Done or occurring out of sight; secret. [Colloq.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Underground railroad or Underground railway. See under
        Railroad.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Underground \Un"der*ground`\, n.
     1. The place or space beneath the surface of the ground;
        subterranean space.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A spirit raised from depth of underground. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. a subway or subway system, especially in the United
        Kingdom. [chiefly British]
        [PJC]
  
     3. a secret organization opposed to the prevailing
        government; as, the French underground during the Nazi
        occupation.
        [PJC]
  
     4. a group or movement holding unorthodox views in an
        environment where conventional ideas dominate, as in
        artistic circles.
        [PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Underground \Un"der*ground`\, adv.
     Beneath the surface of the earth.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:

  underground
      adv 1: in or into hiding or secret operation; "the organization
             was driven underground"
      2: beneath the surface of the earth; "water flowing underground"
      adj 1: under the level of the ground; "belowground storage
             areas"; "underground caverns" [syn: belowground,
             underground]
      2: conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;
         "clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger
         activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner intrigue";
         "secret missions"; "a secret agent"; "secret sales of arms";
         "surreptitious mobilization of troops"; "an undercover
         investigation"; "underground resistance" [syn: clandestine,
         cloak-and-dagger, {hole-and-corner(a)}, hugger-mugger,
         hush-hush, secret, surreptitious, undercover,
         underground]
      n 1: a secret group organized to overthrow a government or
           occupation force [syn: underground, resistance]
      2: an electric railway operating below the surface of the ground
         (usually in a city); "in Paris the subway system is called
         the `metro' and in London it is called the `tube' or the
         `underground'" [syn: metro, tube, underground, {subway
         system}, subway]


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