undergird
[ uhn-der-gurd ]
/ ˌʌn dərˈgɜrd /
verb (used with object), un·der·gird·ed or un·der·girt, un·der·gird·ing.
to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around: to undergird a top-heavy load.
to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis: ethics undergirded by faith.
Words nearby undergird
underfoot,
underframe,
underfunded,
underfur,
undergarment,
undergird,
underglaze,
undergo,
undergrad,
undergraduate,
underground
Example sentences from the Web for undergirding
They may have been planned, suggests Prof. Baldwin Brown, to carry an undergirding arch such as occurs beneath some wooden roofs.
How France Built Her Cathedrals |Elizabeth Boyle O'Reilly
British Dictionary definitions for undergirding
undergird
/ (ˌʌndəˈɡɜːd) /
verb -girds, -girding, -girded or -girt
(tr)
to strengthen or reinforce by passing a rope, cable, or chain around the underside of (an object, load, etc)
Word Origin for undergird
C16: from
under- +
gird
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