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.
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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
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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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.
The Order: The Bacon, Egg & Cheese Stuffed Bagel makes the popular breakfast sandwich extra portable.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
During the quarter, McDonald’s debuted its Big Arch burger, with a video of Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski taking a bite of the premium-priced sandwich going viral.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Thankfully, he was found in one piece - and he certainly needed a marmalade sandwich after his ordeal.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
It also costs less than the new Shake Shack sandwich, with a typical price of $5.49 to $6.99, at least when it was last offered.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
Mom makes me a sandwich and puts it on my plate.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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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.