understander

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English understander, understondere, equivalent to understand + -er.

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ˌəndɚˈstændɚ/

Noun

understander (plural understanders)

  1. One who understands something.
    I am not a speed reader, I am a speed understander.
    • 1955 October, Rex Stout, “Die Like a Dog”, in Three Witnesses, Bantam, published 1994, →ISBN, page 166:
      "You knew Mr. Kampf intimately?"
      "Yes, I guess so." She smiled as one understander to another.
    • 2009 January 23, Virginia Heffernan, “Confessions of a TED Addict”, in New York Times:
      These are the people of the brain, after all, the understanders.
Translations

Etymology 2

under + stander

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

IPA(key): /ˈəndɚˌstændɚ/

Noun

understander (plural understanders)

  1. (circus, acrobatics) One who physically supports a formation of acrobats, as a human pyramid.
    Synonym: (US) bottom man
    He was a strongman and an understander for the acrobats.

Anagrams

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