supine


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su·pine

 (so͞o′pīn′, so͞o-pīn′)
adj.
1. Lying on the back or having the face upward.
2. Having the palm upward. Used of the hand.
3. Marked by or showing lethargy, passivity, or blameworthy indifference: "No other colony showed such supine, selfish helplessness in allowing her own border citizens to be mercilessly harried" (Theodore Roosevelt).
n.
In Latin grammar, a verbal noun used in only a few syntactic constructions and occurring in only two cases, an accusative in -tum or -sum and an ablative in -tū or -sū. The accusative form of the supine is sometimes considered to be the fourth principal part of the Latin verb.

[Middle English supin, Latin verbal noun, from Late Latin supīnum (verbum), (verb) lying on its back, (verb) going back, neuter of Latin supīnus; see upo in Indo-European roots.]

su·pine′ly adv.
su·pine′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

supine

adj
1. lying or resting on the back with the face, palm, etc, upwards
2. displaying no interest or animation; lethargic
n
(Grammar) grammar a noun form derived from a verb in Latin, often used to express purpose with verbs of motion. Abbreviation: sup
[C15: from Latin supīnus related to sub under, up; (in grammatical sense) from Latin verbum supīnum supine word (the reason for this use is unknown)]
suˈpinely adv
suˈpineness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

su•pine

(adj. suˈpaɪn; n. ˈsu paɪn)

adj.
1. lying on the back, face upward.
2.
a. (of the hand) having the palm turned forward or upward.
b. (of the foot) having the sole turned upward or outward.
3. inactive, passive, or inert, esp. from indolence or indifference.
n.
4. (in Latin) a noun form derived from verbs, appearing only in the accusative and the dative-ablative, as dictū in mirābile dictū, “wonderful to say.”
5. (in English) the infinitive of a verb preceded by to.
[1490–1500; < Latin supīnus lying faceup, inactive]
su•pine′ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
prone, prostrate, supine - Prone is lying on your face—facing downwards—which is also true for prostrate, but only in expressing adoration or begging for protection; supine is lying on your back.
See also related terms for prone.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.supine - lying face upward
unerect - not upright in position or posture
2.supine - offering no resistancesupine - offering no resistance; "resistless hostages"; "No other colony showed such supine, selfish helplessness in allowing her own border citizens to be mercilessly harried"- Theodore Roosevelt
passive, inactive - lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

supine

adjective
1. flat on your back, flat, horizontal, recumbent a statue of a supine dog
flat on your back prone, prostrate, lying on your face, face-down
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
passiivinensaamaton

supine

[ˈsuːpaɪn]
A. ADJ (frm)
1. (= prostrate) [person, position] → de espaldas, sobre el dorso, supino (more frm)
he lay supine on the couchestaba tendido sobre el dorso or (more frm) en posición supina en el sofá
2. (fig) (= passive) → abúlico
the government's supine response to the rise in petrol pricesla reacción abúlica del gobierno ante la subida de los precios de la gasolina
B. Nsupino m
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

supine

[suːˈpaɪn]
adj (= lying flat) → couché(e) sur le dos, étendu(e) sur le dos
adv [lie] → sur le dos
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

supine

adjzurückliegend attr; person (lit)ausgestreckt; (fig)entspannt; (fig liter) lethargyträge, gleichgültig; in a supine positionauf dem Rücken liegend; to be/lie supineauf dem Rücken liegen
n (Gram) → Supinum nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

supine

[ˈsuːpaɪn] adjsupino/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

su·pine

a. supino-a, de posición acostada de espalda, boca arriba y con la palma de la mano hacia arriba.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

supine

adj supino, acostado boca arriba
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
This whale is not dead; he is only dispirited; out of sorts, perhaps; hypochondriac; and so supine, that the hinges of his jaw have relaxed, leaving him there in that ungainly sort of plight, a reproach to all his tribe, who must, no doubt, imprecate lock-jaws upon him.
If the power of affording it be placed under the direction of the Union, there will be no danger of a supine and listless inattention to the dangers of a neighbor, till its near approach had superadded the incitements of self-preservation to the too feeble impulses of duty and sympathy.
As to the worthy convive of the preceding evening, he was carefully gathered up from the hunter's couch on which he lay, repentant and supine, and, being packed upon one of the horses, was hurried forward with the convoy, groaning and ejaculating at every jolt.
Susan was only acting on the same truths, and pursuing the same system, which her own judgment acknowledged, but which her more supine and yielding temper would have shrunk from asserting.
The work was of the same character as that which he had just been engaged on, but with the greater directness which surgery has than medicine; and a larger proportion of the patients suffered from those two diseases which a supine public allows, in its prudishness, to be spread broadcast.
He was supine. The dignified person next him, with short side whiskers and a carefully scraped chin, was, of course, Hamilton.
She was supine under a little oak, resting after the fury of her elder-hunting, and had taken off the high-heeled slippers she had been silly enough to wear.
A moment later, as she was lifted and placed supine across the altar's top, hope left her entirely, and she trembled in an agony of fright.
The rider's breezy hair and erect attitude, there was a suggestion of suddenly arrested motion, of strength, courage, and youthful buoyancy that contrasted sharply with the supine grace of the `DOLCE FAR NIENTE' sketch.
There was a threatening growl, a commanding exclamation, and an unaccountable pause, at the expiration of which she found herself supine on the sward, with her parasol between her eyes and the sun.
The maid pulled the hay from her, her mistress submitting with the supine listlessness of a dying animal.
Oh, merciful heavens, was I not accessory to his death by my supine insensibility, by my contempt for him, not remembering, or not willing to remember, that it was for my sake he had become a traitor and a perjurer?