[f. prec.]
A. adj. (In predicative use underha·nd.)
1. † a. Archery. Used in shooting ‘under hand.’ (Cf. UNDERHAND adv. 2 a.)
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 126. Thus the vnderhande [shaft] must haue a small breste, to go cleane awaye oute of the bowe.
b. Made with the hands kept below the level of the body.
1705. trans. Bosman’s Guinea, 129. Paddling the Water with an under-hand stroke.
c. Cricket. Of bowling: Performed with the hand held under the ball and lower than the shoulder or (formerly) the elbow. (Cf. UNDER-ARM a. 1 and UNDERHAND adv. 2 d.)
1850. ‘Bat,’ Cricket Man., 33. By the underhand method of bowling, the ball … went directly to the wicket.
1867. Lillywhite’s Cricketers’ Comp., 8. Underhand bowling is almost extinct.
1905. F. Sugg’s Cricket Annual, 47. It is very essential that he should cultivate the under-hand throw.
d. Using underhand bowling.
1848. W. N. Hutchinson, Dog-breaking, ii. 13. Similar to the swing of an under-hand bowler at cricket.
1851. Lillywhite, Guide to Cricketers, 68. He is a capital under-hand bowler and a dangerous bat.
2. Secret, clandestine, surreptitious. Also absol.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse, G ij b. All under-hand cloaking of bad actions with Common-wealth pretences.
1621. Elsing, Debates Ho. Lords, App. (Camden), 149. It was ordered … that … the sollicitor should goe with the officer, whoe had the warrant, and showlld searche all underhand workers’ howsses.
1649. Nicholas Papers (Camden), 139. The former endeavouring by underhand treaties to undermyne him.
1678. Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. ii. § 59. 471/1. Manuel … was an underhand enemy to the Western Christians, and an open enemy to the Turks.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 550, ¶ 1. Several indirect and underhand Practices.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., i. These turbulent cities … never failed to find underhand countenance at the Court of Louis.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1877), II. ix. 366. Their influence must have been exercised in a purely underhand way.
1892. Stevenson & L. Osbourne, Wrecker, x. A new element of the uncertain, the underhand, perhaps even the dangerous.
b. Of persons: Not straightforward.
1842. J. H. Newman, Lett. (1891), II. 393. I am often accused of being underhand and uncandid.
1858. Lytton, What will He do? I. xvi. You could not mean to be sly and underhand.
3. Not open or obvious; unobtrusive; quiet.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., I. i. 142. I had my selfe notice of my Brothers purpose heerein, and haue by vnder-hand meanes laboured to disswade him from it.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. xxxviii. (1674), 50. By this handsom under-hand dealing, I have reduced the formerly ruinous … State … into the condition that now it is.
1824. Miss Ferrier, Inher., xxiv. For, as she observed, in an underhand way, there was no disputing with a man who held the key of the post-bag.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., IV. V. iv. § 14. Like the most subtle moves of a game of chess, of which no bystander can for a long time see the intention, but which are, in dim, underhand, wonderful way, bringing out their foreseen and inevitable result.
4. Held in, manipulated by, the hand.
1706. Baynard, in Sir J. Floyer, Hot & Cold Bath, II. 274. He went … with Crutches, and was in six or eight times Bathing so much reliev’d as to walk with an underhand Stick.
1786. Abercrombie, Gard. Assist., 136. Ridge out melons in underhand glasses.
5. Mining. Worked from above downwards.
1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & M., 226. Fifteen men were engaged in underhand stoping from the top of winze No. 3.
B. sb. 1. An underhand ball; underhand bowling.
1866. Le Fanu, All in Dark, I. xxxiii. 282. He handles the willow pretty well, and would treat you to a tolerably straight, well pitched slow underhand.
1885. Finch-Hatton, Advance Australia! 338. All display a precocious talent for round-hand bowling, very different to the sneaking underhand affected by the uneducated youth of Great Britain.
2. A position of inferiority.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xii. I paid the less attention to this, for I knew it was usually said by those who have the underhand.
