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Added 9 October 2026

underflow

noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). More about underflow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A current flowing below the surface.
A condition in which the value of a computed quantity is smaller than the smallest value that can be physically stored; usually treated as an error condition.
The error condition that results from an attempt to retrieve an item from an empty stack.

verb

To trigger the condition in which the value of a computed quantity is smaller than the smallest value that can be physically stored.
To trigger the error condition resulting from attempting to retrieve a value from an empty stack.

Origin

From under- + flow, modelled on overflow.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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