Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One of a pair of hind wings of an insect, especially a moth or butterfly.
- noun Any of various noctuid moths chiefly of the genus Calocala, having drab forewings and brightly colored hind wings that are not visible when the moth is at rest.
- noun The underside of a wing, as of a bird or airplane.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A moth whose under wings are conspicuous in color or otherwise; specifically, a moth of the genus Catocala.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) One of the posterior wings of an insect.
- noun (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of noctuid moths belonging to Catocala and allied genera, in which the hind wings are banded with red and black or other conspicuous colors. Many of the species are called
red underwing .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
hind wing on aninsect . - noun A member of the genus Catocala; a nocturnal
moth which usually has brightly coloured underwings.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun moth having dull forewings and brightly colored hind wings
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Match the artsy underwing of the pearl-bordered fritillary with the breathtaking views from the Morecambe Bay Limestones, just below the Lake District.
Are butterflies the UK's most beautiful endangered species? | Dan Flenley 2011
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It has several minor failings — among them limited a internal weapons carriage, rendering underwing carriage necessary (thus negating most of its stealth advantages), along with an inability to fire its air-to-air weapons at maximum speed.
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I am guessing that this one is called the Modest Sphinx Moth because the plum coloured underwing is generally hidden.
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Lieutenant Commander Franz Kanaga led a dozen Helldivers, each bearing an asymmetric load of underwing bombs and fuel tanks.
Whirlwind Barrett Tillman 2010
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Lieutenant Commander Franz Kanaga led a dozen Helldivers, each bearing an asymmetric load of underwing bombs and fuel tanks.
Whirlwind Barrett Tillman 2010
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With a maximum speed of 288 MPH (460 KPH) it was able to operate from roadways, even in jungle and it could carry up to 3,600 pounds of assorted bombs, cannon, machine guns and missiles on five weapon attachment points; plus 1,200 pounds of bombs on two underwing pylons.
Archive 2007-10-07 2007
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With a maximum speed of 288 MPH (460 KPH) it was able to operate from roadways, even in jungle and it could carry up to 3,600 pounds of assorted bombs, cannon, machine guns and missiles on five weapon attachment points; plus 1,200 pounds of bombs on two underwing pylons.
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Just then there was a sudden flurry of arrivals: a common wainscot, several green carpets, a straw underwing, and two or three scorched carpets, which would most likely have been feeding as caterpillars on the spindle trees in the wood.
Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009
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The exceptions are only Patriot batteries, ammunition and underwing ordnance. so "Derek Blades", you are talking twaddle.
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2009
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It was another aircraft's ordinance (i.e. an unguided 5-inch Mk-32 "Zuni" rocket, one of four contained in a LAU-10 underwing rocket pod) mounted on a F-4 Phantom II, which accidentally fired due to an electrical power surge during the switch from external power to internal power.
biocon commented on the word underwing
In addition, underwing means the surfaces beneath a bird's wing (underside of a wing).
March 11, 2012