supine

Everyday

1. Lying flat on your back, face upwards. tree →
2. (formal) Weak, lazy or too willing to accept things without protesting. tree →

In the lessons

In science, PE and first-aid lessons: «supine position» = lying on your back (the opposite of «prone», lying face down). In the formal voice: a supine government does nothing. Phrases: «supine position», «lie supine».

Examples

• The doctor asked the patient to lie supine on the bed. tree →
• In yoga, we lay supine and breathed slowly. tree →
• The opposite of supine is prone, lying face down. tree →
• The cat lay supine in the sun with its paws in the air. tree →
• The newspaper called the council supine for doing nothing about the potholes. tree →
• For this exercise, start in a supine position with your knees bent. tree →

Note

Pronounced SOO-pine (or soo-PINE). Opposite: «prone» (face down). Memory trick: supine has «up» in it – face up. In first aid, an unconscious person who is breathing is usually put in the recovery position, not left supine.