The Only Use of
subterranean
in
1984, by Orwell
- They were down in some subterranean place — the bottom of a well, for instance, or a very deep grave — but it was a place which, already far below him, was itself moving downwards.†
p. 29.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(subterranean) under the ground
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely, subterraneancan refer to something that is lying beneath what is easily seen. For example, a "subterranean motive", could refer to a motive that is hidden from others, or even a motive that is not understood by the person who has it.