Dictionary

undern en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle English undern, ondern, from Old English undern (“third hour of the day; nine o'clock; morning”), from Proto-Germanic *undurniz (“interval”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥ter, *h₁enter (“between”). Cognate with dialectal Dutch onder, dialectal German Untern, dialectal Swedish undarn.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of terce: the third hour of daylight (about 9 am).
   • ...wete yow wel that sir launcelot was glad and soo was that lady Elayne that she had geten sir launcelot in her armes... and soo they lay to gyders vntyl vndorne on the morn and alle the wyndowes and holes of that chamber were stopped that no manere of day myghte be sene 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “ij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XI:
2. (obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of noon: the sixth hour of daylight (12 pm).
3. (UK, dialectal, uncountable) Synonym of afternoon.
4. (UK, dialectal, uncountable) Synonym of evening.
5. (UK, dialectal, uncountable) A light meal, particularly in the afternoon.

Forms

Deriveds

undern-time · undermeal · undern-bell · andersmeat · underntide · undertide · high undern · whole undern · half undern · undern-song

Synonyms

arvo (afternoon) · eventide (evening) · meridian (noon) · noon · terce · evening · snack (light meal) · sext · afternoon

Translations (2)

fr casse-croûte (light meal) · fr goûter (light meal)