subaquaticadj.

1750 tr. B. de Maillet Telliamed 6 His principal study at this time, was to discover the disposition of subaquatic soils.

1789 E. Darwin Bot. Garden: Pt. II 146 (note) The subaquatic leaves of this plant..are cut into fine divisions.

1828 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 24 316 Subaquatic paths for crossing the Nile.

1849 Sketches Nat. Hist.: Mammalia III. 111 Tearing up the strong-fibred vegetables from their subaquatic bed by means of its tusks.

1874 E. Coues Birds Northwest 11 Ability to progress under water..by a sort of subaquatic flying and scrambling.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) II. 909 The water-spider, though belonging to a terrestrial race and breathing dry air, weaves a sub-aquatic nest in which she lays her eggs.

1975 Times 1 July p. xiv/5 In Italy, for the most part, anyone who can sail, play tennis, ride, or go in for sub-aquatic sports is also lucky enough to have a father who can pay for his holidays.

2009 J. DuLong My River Chrons. (2010) 194 There was talk of sending a diver down to scope out the subaquatic terrain.

1820 Edinb. Philos. Jrnl. 2 44 In the shallow parts of lakes are found numerous subaquatic plants, which, in summer, flower at the surface.

1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm I. 483 Subaquatic plants, such as rushes.

1880 A. R. Wallace Island Life ii. xiii. 268 The large number of allied forms [of tortoises] which have aquatic or sub-aquatic habits.

1914 Bull. Misc. Information (Royal Bot. Gardens, Kew) 315 Almost all of the above-named aquatic and subaquatic plants flourish in one or other of the numerous small crater-lakes in the island.

1975 D. S. Correll & H. B. Correll Aquatic & Wetland Plants Southwestern U.S. I. 51 Osmundaceae... Large terrestrial to subaquatic plants of low moist soils and wet places.

2008 D. M. Armstrong Rocky Mountain Mammals (ed. 3) x. 188 Otters..are largely restricted to aquatic and subaquatic habitats, such as streamside marshes and willow thickets.