adj. & n.
adj. (usu. attrib.) 1 further in; inside; interior (the inner compartment). 2 (of thoughts, feelings, etc.) deeper; more secret.
n. Archery 1 a division of the target next to the bull's-eye. 2 a shot that strikes this. inner bar Brit. Law Queen's or King's Counsel collectively. inner city the central most densely populated area of a city (also (with hyphen) attrib.: inner-city housing). inner-directed Psychol. governed by standards formed in childhood. inner man (or woman) 1 the soul or mind. 2 joc. the stomach. inner planet an inferior planet (see INFERIOR adj. 3). inner space 1 the region between the earth and outer space, or below the surface of the sea. 2 the part of the mind not normally accessible to consciousness. inner-spring US = interior-sprung. Inner Temple one of the two Inns of Court on the site of the Temple in London (cf. Middle Temple). inner tube a separate inflatable tube inside the cover of a pneumatic tyre. innerly adv. innermost adj. innerness n.
[ OE innera (adj.), compar. of IN ]