onderrand

Onderrand is a Dutch noun meaning the lower edge or bottom rim of an object. It is formed from onder, meaning lower, and rand, meaning edge or border. The term is general and is used across a variety of fields to denote the boundary at the bottom of something, in contrast to the bovenrand (top edge) or zijranden (side edges).

In everyday language onderrand is commonly used to describe the lower boundary of tangible items, such as the onderrand van een tafelblad, de onderrand van een raamkozijn, or de onderrand van een schilderij. In architecture and construction it can refer to the bottom edge of components, for example de onderrand van een venster, muur of daklijst. In publishing and design the term may describe the bottom margin or edge of a page, poster, of layout.

Nuance exists between onderrand and related terms. Rand emphasizes an edge or boundary line, whereas kanten like onderkant or onderzijde can refer more broadly to the bottom surface or underside. In many contexts onderrand and onderkant are not strictly interchangeable; the choice depends on whether the focus is on an edge (rand) or a surface (kant/zijde).

See also: rand, onderkant, onderzijde.