The undertow is the pull of water back out to sea underneath a breaking wave. A strong undertow, dragged out by the undertow, watch for the undertow.
It is a real and dangerous thing at steep beaches: the water a wave carries up the sand has to return, and it returns beneath the next wave, where a swimmer cannot see it. It is often confused with a rip current, which is a narrower channel running seaward and is the greater danger. Figuratively an undertow is a hidden force pulling against the surface mood: an undertow of resentment beneath the politeness.
1nounundertowThe pull of water back out under a breaking wave.
“The undertow there is strong enough to take your feet out.”
undertow is a pull beneath the surface.
Proto-Indo-European
*dewk- — to draw, pull; to lead
Proto-Germanic
*tugōną — to draw, pull
Proto-West Germanic
*togōn
Old English
togian — to tow
Middle English
towen
English
tow
English, today
undertow
From under- + tow. tow comes from Middle English towen, from Old English togian (“to tow”), from Proto-West Germanic togōn, from Proto-Germanic tugōną (“to draw, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead”). 2 Cognate with German zögern (“to hesitate, pause”), Faroese and Icelandic toga (“to pull”), French touer (“to tow, tug a ship”); also Welsh dwyn (“to steal; to take; to bring to”), Latin dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to take; to draw, pull; to consider, think; to prolong; to march; to forge”), Ancient Greek δαδύσσομαι (“to be distracted”), Albanian nduk (“to pluck out, pull out, tear”), ckb دۆشین (“to milk”), kmr dotin, doşîn, دۆشین (“to milk”), os ду́цын (“to milk”), ps لوشل (“to milk; to extort”), Persian دوشیدن, دوشتن, دوختن (“to milk”). Related to tug.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA