Underhead

//ˈʌndə(ɹ)hɛd// adj, adv, noun

adj, adv, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A blockhead, or stupid person; a dunderhead. obsolete

    "wiser discretions, that have the thread of reason to conduct them, offend without a pardon; whereas underheads may stumble without dishonour."

  2. 2
    The area directly below the head of something. (any sense)

    "Data in the column headed "Underhead" are demerit ratings related to the degree of darkening of the underhead. A rating of 0 indicates a completely black underhead, while a rating of 10 indicates a completely clean underhead."

  3. 3
    The base of a railroad track.

    "So far as absolute strength for carying the load is concerned, this reduction of area need cause no alarm, but the effect of the indentation of the underhead or base of the rail is a different and I fear a serious matter, because it is well known, that it indent a piece of steel and subject it to a blow produces immediate fracture […],"

  4. 4
    direct costs. dated

    "I think prices would go up, for I know something of the importance of overhead and underhead cost as affecting the price of the goods you have to sell."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Beneath the head of a mechanical component. not-comparable

    "In preparation for reactor pressure vessel head lift, an underhead radiation survey was performed on Dec. 16 , 1982 , to determine radiation levels in the area between the top of the plenum assembly and the reactor vessel head ."

  2. 2
    Such that the train track goes over the pathway of cars or pedestrians. not-comparable

    "The Missouri Pacific Railway agrees that there may be an underhead crossing of its tracks north of the Union Depot, at such point as may be most convenient to both parties, and corresponding with the underhead crossing of the Texas and Pacific Railway, above mentioned;"

  3. 3
    Coming from below. not-comparable

    "It should almost be a lighting axiom therefore, that brilliant underhead light sources are taboo for esthetic purposes."

Adverb
  1. 1
    In an underhead location.

    "To offset this on the second piers, 4-in. hard pine plank casing was installed on the inside form with 1 in. by 12 in. lag screws screwed into the inner surface and allowed to project back into the concrete about 9 in. with pressed washers underhead."

Example

More examples

"wiser discretions, that have the thread of reason to conduct them, offend without a pardon; whereas underheads may stumble without dishonour."

Etymology

From under- + head. Piecewise doublet of underchef and underchief.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.