underscore
underscore Lexical Profile
underscore Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To emphasize, highlight, or demonstrate the special importance or validity of something.
"The recent clinical findings underscore the importance of early screening for cardiovascular conditions."
To draw or print a horizontal line underneath a word or passage in a text.
"The student used a red pen to underscore the key vocabulary terms in each chapter."
To accompany spoken dialogue or scenes in a film or theatrical production with background music.
"Delicate piano chords underscore the final conversation between the two protagonists."
• noun
A line drawn beneath a word or phrase for emphasis, or the typographic character (_) used in computing and file naming where spaces are not permitted.
"Please replace any spaces in the document's filename with an underscore before uploading it to the server."
Subtle background music played beneath spoken dialogue or action in a film, play, or television broadcast to establish mood and heighten emotional tension.
"The composer wrote a quiet cello underscore to accompany the dramatic monologue in the second act."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 18th century from 'under-' and 'score' (meaning to mark with a line, ultimately from Old Norse 'skor', meaning a notch or incision). Originally referring to drawing a physical line beneath written text, it acquired its figurative sense of emphasizing a point in the late 19th century.