sandwich
1 Americannoun
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two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.
a tuna sandwich.
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a partially slit bread roll, pita, etc., with a filling.
a falafel sandwich.
-
something resembling or suggesting a sandwich, as something in horizontal layers.
a plywood sandwich.
verb (used with object)
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to put into a sandwich.
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to insert between two other things.
to sandwich a personal appointment between two business meetings.
noun
noun
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two or more slices of bread, usually buttered, with a filling of meat, cheese, etc
-
anything that resembles a sandwich in arrangement
verb
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to insert tightly between two other things
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to put into a sandwich
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to place between two dissimilar things
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have sandwichedperfect
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has sandwichedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been sandwichingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been sandwichingperfect progressive
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is sandwichingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am sandwichingprogressive 1st person singular
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sandwichessingular 3rd person
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sandwichingparticiple
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are sandwichingprogressive
Past
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had sandwichedperfect
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was sandwichingprogressive singular
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had been sandwichingperfect progressive
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were sandwichingprogressive plural
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sandwichedparticiple
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sandwichedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of sandwich
First recorded in 1755–65; named after the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718–92)
Explanation
A sandwich is a meal in the form of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or some other filling between them. Your favorite lunch might be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When you put something between slices of bread, it's a sandwich. It's named for the Fourth Earl of Sandwich who's credited with inventing it. Sandwich is a verb too, that describes putting something between two other things, like sandwiching gym class between math and lunch. Sometimes sandwich involves being squeezed uncomfortably, like having to sandwich yourself between people on a crowded elevator or subway car.
Vocabulary lists containing sandwich
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 3
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List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Al Wallis, owner of the The Sandwich Bar in Looe, said the cost of living crisis had made it a challenging time but the influx of holidaymakers over the bank holiday "makes a big difference".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Because it was never in doubt that Sandwich Guy threw the sandwich; he admitted it to law enforcement.
From Slate • Nov. 7, 2025
During the pandemic, she hosted a podcast called “The Sandwich Universe” and made tons of sandwiches.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024
Lead plaintiff Anna Tollison said she spent $7.61 for a Subway Steak & Cheese Sandwich that contained a measly amount of beef.
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024
It sounded like just the kind of thing crazy old Sandwich would do.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.