supine
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/
ipa: /ˌsuˈpaɪn/
ipa: /ˈsuˌpaɪn/
rhymes: -uːpaɪn
rhymes: (General American) -aɪn
Forms: form: more supine
form: most supine
Etymology: The adjective is borrowed from Latin supīnus, from *sup- (see sub (“under”)) + -īnus (“of, pertaining to”). The word is cognate with Catalan supí, Italian supino, Old French sovin, Middle French souvin, Anglo-Norman supin, Old Occitan sobin, sopin, Portuguese supino, Spanish supino. Partly displaced Old English upweard (“upward, supine”), whence Modern English upward.
The noun is from Late Middle English supin (“supine of a Latin verb”) or Middle French supin (“(grammar) supine”), from Latin supīnum, (ellipsis of supīnum verbum (“supine verb”)), from supīnus; further etymology above.
Senses: examples: text: Data, in part previously reported by this laboratory (2, 9), on the effects of mannitol loads in supine subjects, and of saline infusions in both supine and standing subjects, have also been used in the construction of Table III and Figures 1 and 2.
ref: 1973 January 26, Paul C. Walter, Jon E. Villaume, Thomas J. Taylor, Phosphates: A Monograph (GRAS Monograph Series; nos. 86–88), [Philadelphia, Pa.?]: Franklin Institute Research Laboratories, →OCLC, page 16:
text: Posterior displacement of the sternum can produce a deformity of the heart, particularly anterior indentation of the right ventricle. [...] The physical work capacity in pectus excavatum at a given heart rate was significantly lower in the sitting than the supine position.
ref: 2009, Robert C. Shamberger, “Chest Wall Deformities”, in Thomas W. Shields, Joseph LoCicero III, Carolyn E. Reed, Richard H. Feins, editors, General Thoracic Surgery, 7th edition, volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Wolters Kluwer, →ISBN, part A (The Lung, Pleura, Diaphragm, and Chest Wall), section IX (The Chest Wall), page 603, column 1:
synonyms: reclined
antonyms: prone
prostrate
glosses: Lying on its back.
examples: text: when one is washing one’s face, the hand is in the supine position; and then the forearm is also in the supine position; when the foot is resting on the outer side of the sole, it is in the supine position
qualifier: forearm or foot
glosses: Turned facing toward the body or upward: with the thumb outward (palm up), or with the big toe raised relative to the little toe.
raw_tags: of the hand
examples: text: Such corruption is commonplace in a world of supine civil servants and underfunded ministries.
text: [W]hen Man was fallen, and had abandoned his primitive Innocence, [...] he became puſillanimous, and was eaſily ruffled with every little Paſſion within: ſupine, and as openly expoſed to any Temptation or Aſſault from without.
ref: 1695, John Woodward, “Part II. Concerning the Universal Deluge. That These Marine Bodies were then Left at Land. The Effects It Had upon the Earth.”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: […], London: Printed for Ric[hard] Wilkin […], →OCLC, pages 85–86:
text: The Academics talk always of Doubts and ſuſpense of Judgment, of Danger in haſty Determinations, of confining to the very narrow Bounds the Enquiries of the Understanding, and of renouncing all Speculations that lie not within the Limits of common Life and Practice. Nothing, therefore, can be more contrary than ſuch a Philoſophy to the ſupine Indolence of the Mind, its raſh Arrogance, its lofty Pretenſions, and its ſuperſtitious Credulity.
ref: 1748, [David Hume], “Essay V. Sceptical Solution of These Doubts.”, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, part I, page 70:
text: In times of inſurrection or invaſion it would be natural and proper that the militia of a neighbouring ſtate ſhould be marched into another to reſiſt a common enemy or to guard the republic againſt the violences of faction or ſedition. [...] 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 neighbour, till its near approach had ſuperadded the incitements of ſelf preſervation to the too feeble impulſes of duty and ſympathy.
ref: 1788, Publius [pseudonym; Alexander Hamilton], “Number XXIX. Concerning the Militia.”, in The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, […] , volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] J. and A. M‘Lean, […], →OCLC, page 184:
text: In A v. UK, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights held that Part 4 of the 2001 Act [the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001] was not a strictly necessary response to the acknowledged emergency evidenced by the attacks in the USA and that the detention of the applicants was in breach of Article 5 [of the European Convention on Human Rights]. This conclusion is noteworthy given that the European Court has in the past adopted a deferential if not supine approach when assessing the legality of derogations under Article 15.
ref: 2009 July, Mark Elliott, “Torture, Deportation and Extra-judicial Detention: Instruments of the ‘War on Terror’”, in Cambridge Law Journal, volume 68, number 2, →DOI, pages 245 at 245–246:
text: A single slice of this could leave you supine in front of the Queen's speech without even the wherewithal to reach for the remote control.
ref: 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 02 Jan 2018:
text: While they ultimately came to the same conclusion, the pre-emptive tweet made it harder to rebut the court's judgment that they were “supine servants of an overweening master”.
ref: 2024 May 18, Tabby Kinder, Stephen Morris, “Tesla chair on Musk: ‘I might wake up to a tweet. I don't wake up to a strategy shift’”, in FT Weekend, page 15:
synonyms: word: passive
word: peaceful
word: lazy
word: lethargic
word: listless
word: adiaphroistic
word: apathetic
word: apathistical
word: blasé
word: deaf
word: cool
word: shiftless
word: dispassionate
word: dull
word: enervated
word: gallionic
word: halfhearted
word: heartless
word: impassive
word: ineffervescible
word: insouciant
word: indifferent
word: insensible
word: jaded
word: languid
word: languorous
word: Laodicean
word: lethargic
word: listless
word: lackadaisical
word: lotophagous
word: lukewarm
word: mopey
word: nonchalant
word: nonplussed
word: phlegmatic
word: pococurante
word: spiritless
word: supine
word: tepid
word: torpid
word: torpedinous
word: unaroused
word: uncaring
word: unconcerned
word: unenthusiastic
word: unimpressible
word: uninterested
word: unlively
word: unmoved
word: untouched
word: unzealous
word: world-weary
glosses: Reluctant to take action due to indifference or moral weakness; apathetic or passive towards something.
examples: text: But if the Vine / On riſing Ground be plac'd, or Hills ſupine, / Extend thy looſe Battalions largely wide, / Opening thy Ranks and Files on either Side: [...]
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 82, lines 372–375:
synonyms: inclined
sloping
glosses: Inclining or leaning backward; inclined, sloping.
Derived terms: word: nonsupine
word: non-supine
word: semisupine
word: semi-supine
word: supinate
word: supinated
word: supination
word: supinator
word: supine hypotensive syndrome
word: supinely
word: supineness
Related terms: resupine