UNDERSCORE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does underscore mean? 

• UNDERSCORE (noun)
  The noun UNDERSCORE has 1 sense:

1. a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

  Familiarity information: UNDERSCORE used as a noun is very rare.

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

1. give extra weight to (a communication)

2. draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to

  Familiarity information: UNDERSCORE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNDERSCORE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A line drawn underneath (especially under written matter)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

underline; underscore

Hypernyms ("underscore" is a kind of...):

stroke (a mark made on a surface by a pen, pencil, or paintbrush)

Derivation:

underscore (draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to)

• UNDERSCORE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they underscore    ... he / she / it underscores   
Past simple: underscored   
Past participle: underscored   
-ing form: underscoring   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give extra weight to (a communication)

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

emphasise; emphasize; underline; underscore

Context example:

Her gesture emphasized her words

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

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress (to stress, single out as important)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

underline; underscore

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

mark (make or leave a mark on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

underscore (a line drawn underneath (especially under written matter))

 Context examples 

The discovery of this pathway underscores the importance of getting enough, quality sleep to maintain cardiovascular health and could provide new targets for fighting heart disease.

(Study helps solve mystery of how sleep protects against heart disease, National Institutes of Health)

The work underscores the importance of accurately representing the role of soil microbes in climate models, the scientists say.

(Rising tundra temperatures lead to changes in microbial communities, National Science Foundation)

The current study involving retinitis pigmentosa underscores the notion that the complement system may in fact exacerbate or curb retinal degeneration depending on the context.

(Immune system can slow degenerative eye disease, National Institutes of Health)

These results underscore the importance of early diagnosis and treatment with antiretroviral therapy.

(HIV can spread early, evolve in patients’ brains, NIH)

The findings underscore the complexity of color perception.

(Rosy health and sickly green: color associations play robust role in reading faces, National Institutes of Health)

Haas said that the findings underscore the need for doctors to focus on the health histories of women.

(First-time pregnancy complications linked to increased risk of hypertension later in life, National Institutes of Health)

The study underscores the importance of sleep in maintaining good cognitive functioning.

(Study ties poor sleep to reduced memory performance in older adults, National Science Foundation)

Many of these additional factors were not addressed in earlier studies, underscoring the statistical power of this larger project.

(Breast cancer protection from pregnancy starts decades later, National Institutes of Health)

The authors conclude that their results support earlier studies linking acetaminophen exposure in the womb with ADHD and ASD and underscore the need for additional research.

(Acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy linked to higher risk of ADHD, autism, National Institutes of Health)

Regarding your reputation and work life, you may hear something that underscores how well your career is coming along, despite your fears that you had done everything wrong over the past two years.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)