un•der•gird
Pronunciation: (un"dur-gûrd'), [key]
— -gird•ed -girt, -gird•ing.
- to strengthen; secure, as by passing a rope or chain under and around: to undergird a top-heavy load.
- to give fundamental support; provide with a sound or secure basis: ethics undergirded by faith.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.