be ‧ low S2 W2 /bɪˈləʊ $ -ˈloʊ/ BrE AmE adverb , preposition
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ low 1 ]
1 . in a lower place or position, or on a lower level OPP above :
an animal that lives below ground
Water was dripping onto the floor below.
I could hear voices in the courtyard below my window.
They camped a few hundred feet below the summit.
Down below, people were talking and laughing.
Somewhere far below, a door slammed.
The kitchen is directly below her bedroom.
Captain Parker went below (=to the lower level of the ship) , leaving Clooney in charge.
2 . of a lower rank or having a less important job than someone else OPP above :
No one below the level of senior manager was present at the meeting.
and/or below
officers of the rank of captain and below
3 . less than a particular number, amount, level etc OPP above :
Test scores below 50 were classed as ‘unsatisfactory’.
In June the rate of inflation fell below 3%.
Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard) .
below freezing/zero (=lower than the temperature at which water freezes)
In winter, temperatures dip to 40 degrees below freezing.
and/or below
free travel for children four years old and below
4 . lower on the same page, or on a later page OPP above :
Details of courses are listed below.
For more information, see below.
⇨ below par at ↑ par (2), ⇨ below the belt at ↑ belt 1 (4)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ under something that is under something else has that thing directly above it or covering it:
The pen was under the desk.
|
She had a T-shirt on under her sweater.
▪ below in a lower position than something else, though not always directly under it:
From the cliffs we could barely see the people on the beach below us.
|
His apartment is below ours on the left.
▪ underneath under – used especially to emphasize that something covers, touches, or hides something:
The girls wear shorts underneath their cheerleading skirts.
|
I found the book underneath the sofa.
▪ beneath formal under or at a lower level:
They strolled hand in hand beneath the summer moon.
|
The water lies just beneath the surface of the earth.