undertow

(ŭn'dər-tō')
n.

1. An underwater current flowing strongly away from the shore, usually caused by the seaward return of water from waves that have broken against the shore.
2. A tendency, especially in thought or feeling, contrary to what seems the strongest: "As she talks nostalgically of her days of glory . . . a poignant undertow emerges" (Tina Brown).

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n. a current below the surface of the sea moving in the opposite direction to the surface current, especially away from the shore: I was swept away by the undertow.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

Ballet in one act with prologue and epilogue, with choreography and libretto by Tudor, music by William Schuman, and designs by Raymond Breinin. Premiered 10 Apr. 1945 by Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, with Hugh Laing, Diana Adams, Alicia Alonso, John Kriza, Lucia Chase, Patricia Barker. The ballet explores the disturbed psychological background of a young man who murders a prostitute (by choking her to death) during the sex act. All the characters in the ballet, with the exception of the young man (known as the Transgressor), have names taken from Greek and Roman mythology.

For a list of words related to undertow, see:

• Disasters and Phenomena - undertow: current beneath ocean surface moving forcefully out to sea; rip current

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See words rhyming with "undertow."

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - understrøm

Nederlands (Dutch)
onderstroom

Français (French)
n. - reflux, contre-courant, influence sous-jacente

Deutsch (German)
n. - Unterströmung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - υποβρύχιο ρεύμα, αντιμάμαλο

Italiano (Italian)
sottocorrente

Português (Portuguese)
n. - contracorrente submarina (f), ressaca (f)

Русский (Russian)
подводное течение, противоположное течению на поверхности, отлив прибоя

Español (Spanish)
n. - resaca, contracorriente

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bakström, motström

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
回头浪

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 回頭浪

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 강한 역류

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 引き波

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) تيار رجعي تحت سطح البحر تسببه الامواج المتكسرة على الشاطئ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮זרם תחתי, זרם תת-מימי הזורם בכיוון הפוך לזרם פני-המים‬

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