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un·der·dress (ŭndər-drĕs′)
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v. (ŭn′dər-drĕs) un·der·dressed, un·der·dress·ing, un·der·dress·es
v.intr.
1. To dress oneself too informally for an occasion: Don't underdress for the wedding; blue jeans are not appropriate attire.
2. To dress oneself too lightly: When it began to snow, I realized I had underdressed for the hike.
v.tr.
1. To dress too informally for an occasion: Seeing the other guests in their evening gowns made me feel I had underdressed myself.
2. To dress too lightly: You're underdressing the baby for such a cold day!
n.
1. Apparel worn beneath outer garments; underclothing.
2. An outer garment, such as a dress beneath a tunic or coat, that is worn as part of a costume or suit.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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