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Wiktionary has the description of meaning for the ancient Greek word 'ὑπό':

under, that is, (with the genitive) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative) of place (whither [underneath] or where [below]) or time (when [at]): among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In compounds it retains the same genitive applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specifically covertly or moderately.

I cannot grasp the exact meaning of this sentence. I do not mean the terms, my problems are with identifying what are the scope for the respective 'or' words. Could you help me comprehend it?

note I may better ask this on ELL, but in case the sentence is 'genuinely ambiguous', I don't know how much linguistic background is given on ELL.

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Here it is, properly formatted:

  • under, that is,
    • (with the genitive) of place (beneath),
      or with verbs (the agency or means, through);
    • (with the accusative) of place (whither [underneath] or where [below])
      or time (when [at]): among, by, from, in, of, under, with.
    • In compounds it retains the same genitive applications,
      especially of inferior position or condition,
      and specifically covertly or moderately.

This is a dictionary definition, which means that it's a list, giving English words that it might mean, and that complete sentences are only used when necessary, as in the last item. In the first items, there are differences depending on what construction it's being used in.

Just like many English words; for instance over -- over that hill may refer
either to an airplane's position or to a village's position, depending on the construction it finds itself in.

By the way, Greek ὑπό is cognate to Latin sub (and Greek ὑπέρ is cognate to Latin super).
PIE initial *s- changed to /h/ in Greek, but stayed /s/ in Latin. Details here.

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    Tiny correction: while it's true initial s yielded h in Greek, there never was an initial s in this word in Greek—it is directly from upo with automatic aspiration of initial u except in dialects where this does not happen and the form is υπό (with no aspiration, though the spiritus lenis apparently cannot be typed on my phone). Sub in Latin is from ex-upo (with regular pretonic voicing of non-initial p and subsequent syncope).
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Oct 25, 2013 at 18:49

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