underplot

English

Etymology

From under- +‎ plot.

Pronunciation

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Noun

underplot (plural underplots)

1. A subplot; a plot that is not the main plot of a story.
   • 1882-89, A Collection Of Old English Plays, Vol. IV‎:

     I have not been able to discover the source of the very curious underplot of The Captives.

   • 1906, Walter W. Greg, Pastoral Poetry and Pastoral Drama‎:

     Thus, again to quote Mr. Homer Smith, it has been held that 'In general the pastoral incidents serve as an underplot, utterly foreign in spirit to the main plot.'

2. A secret scheme or trick.

Translations

subplot — see subplot

Verb

underplot (third-person singular simple present underplots, present participle underplotting, simple past and past participle underplotted)

1. (intransitive) To form secret schemes or plots.

Derived terms

• underplotter