underbelly


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un·der·bel·ly

 (ŭn′dər-bĕl′ē)
n. pl. un·der·bel·lies
1. The soft belly or underside of an animal's body. Also called underbody.
2. The bottom side or part: scraped the car's underbelly going over the curb.
3. The vulnerable or weak part or aspect: "What if quantum theory is wrong? This is the soft underbelly of the whole project of quantum gravity" (Lee Smolin).
4. The corrupt or immoral part or aspect: "[a novel] that most effectively exposed the decadent underbelly of corporate high tech" (Theodore Roszack).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

underbelly

(ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ)
n, pl -lies
1. (Zoology) the part of an animal's belly nearest to the ground
2. a vulnerable or unprotected part, aspect, or region
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

un•der•bel•ly

(ˈʌn dərˌbɛl i)

n., pl. -lies.
1. the lower abdomen.
2. the underneath part of an animal behind the chest.
3. the lower surface or underside.
4. a vulnerable area; weak point.
[1600–10]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.underbelly - lower sideunderbelly - lower side; "the underbellies of clouds"
bottom, underside, undersurface - the lower side of anything
2.underbelly - the soft belly or underside of an animal's bodyunderbelly - the soft belly or underside of an animal's body
underbody
abdomen, belly, stomach, venter - the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
3.underbelly - the quality of being weak or unprotected; "the soft underbelly of the Axis"- Winston Churchill
soft spot, weak part, weak spot - a place of especial vulnerability
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

underbelly

[ˈʌndəˌbelɪ] N (Anat) → panza f
the (soft) underbelly (fig) → la parte indefensa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

underbelly

[ˈʌndəˌbɛlɪ] n (Anat) → basso ventre m (fig) → punto debole
the soft underbelly → il ventre molle
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
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