# underflow

> English word · Noun

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

## Etymology
From under- + flow, modelled on overflow.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/underflow