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supine

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
su·pine  (s-pn, spn)
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. See Synonyms at inactive.
4. Inclined; sloping.
n. Grammar
A defective Latin verbal noun of the fourth declension, having very limited syntax and only two cases, an accusative in -tum or -sum and an ablative in -t or -s. The accusative form is sometimes considered to be the fourth principal part of the Latin verb.

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

su·pinely adv.
su·pineness n.

supine
adj [suːˈpaɪn sjuː- ˈsuːpaɪn ˈsjuː-]
1. lying or resting on the back with the face, palm, etc., upwards
2. displaying no interest or animation; lethargic
n [ˈsuːpaɪn ˈsjuː-]
(Linguistics / Grammar) Grammar a noun form derived from a verb in Latin, often used to express purpose with verbs of motion Abbreviation sup
[from Latin supīnus related to sub under, up; (in grammatical sense) from Latin verbum supīnum supine word (the reason for this use is unknown)]
supinely  adv
supineness  n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.supine - lying face upward
unerect - not upright in position or posture
2.supinesupine - 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

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
Translations
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
supine [suːˈpaɪn]
adj (= lying flat) → couché(e) sur le dos, étendu(e) sur le dos
adv [lie] → sur le dos
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
supine [ˈsuːpaɪn] adjsupino/a
supine [ˈsuːpaɪn] adjsupino/a


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? Mentioned in ? 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.
 
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