UNDERPIN (underpinned, underpinning)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: underpinned    , underpinning   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does underpin mean? 

• UNDERPIN (verb)
  The verb UNDERPIN has 2 senses:

1. support from beneath

2. support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm

  Familiarity information: UNDERPIN used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNDERPIN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they underpin    ... he / she / it underpins   
Past simple: underpinned   
Past participle: underpinned   
-ing form: underpinning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Support from beneath

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "underpin" is one way to...):

hold; hold up; support; sustain (be the physical support of; carry the weight of)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

bear out; corroborate; support; underpin

Context example:

The stories and claims were born out by the evidence

Hypernyms (to "underpin" is one way to...):

agree; check; correspond; fit; gibe; jibe; match; tally (be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

But this study is the first to demonstrate that the activity of TET1 underpins regeneration in adult mouse liver tissue.

(Regeneration mechanism discovered in mice could provide target for drugs to combat chronic liver disease, University of Cambridge)

Cell-cell adhesions also underpin axon-axon contacts and link neurons with supporting schwann cells and oligodendrocytes.

(Cell Adhesion Molecule Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Scientists undertook this large project to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the peanut plant’s growth and development, as well as the expression of desirable traits, like high seed yield, improved oil quality and resistance to costly diseases and pests such as root knot nematodes.

(Peanut Genome Sequenced with Unprecedent Accuracy, U.S. Department of Agriculture)