nether

[ neth-er ]
See synonyms for nether on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. lying or believed to lie beneath the earth's surface; infernal: the nether regions.

  2. lower or under: his nether lip.

Origin of nether

1
before 900; Middle English nethere,Old English neothera, nithera, derivative of nither down (cognate with German nieder), literally, further down, equivalent to ni- down + -ther comparative suffix

Other words from nether

  • neth·er·ward, adjective

Words Nearby nether

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nether in a sentence

  • Somewhere in the nether regions of his pitiless heart, the ancient patriarch knows he cannot live forever.

  • "This went from the nether regions of the Internet to mainstream political debate," Pfeiffer told the half-full briefing room.

  • He still wore knee-breeches and dark cotton stockings on his nether limbs, but they were not the breeches.

  • Westmacott moved a step or two forward, a swagger unmistakable in his gait, his nether-lip thrust out in a sneer.

    Mistress Wilding | Rafael Sabatini
  • McAuliffe's nether garments were fashioned out of sacking originally used for packing liquor cases.

    Menotah | Ernest G. Henham
  • They become intercessors between this invisible Sovereign and his subjects of this nether world.

    Letters To Eugenia | Paul Henri Thiry Holbach
  • The time sped on and still nether Cyril nor Mr. Palsey arrived.

    Daisy Ashford: Her Book | Daisy Ashford

British Dictionary definitions for nether

nether

/ (ˈnɛðə) /


adjective
  1. placed or situated below, beneath, or underground: nether regions; a nether lip

Origin of nether

1
Old English niothera, nithera, literally: further down, from nither down. Related to Old Irish nitaram, German nieder

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012