sub-zero
Americanadjective
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indicating or recording lower than zero on some scale, especially on the Fahrenheit scale.
a week of sub-zero temperatures.
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characterized by or appropriate for sub-zero temperatures.
sub-zero climates; sub-zero clothing for the exploration.
Etymology
Origin of sub-zero
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 scientists discovered four different yeasts that can survive sub-zero temperatures in Oetzi's guts, skin and "brownish" water that melted off his body when he was partially unfrozen.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
She expressed approval of the conditions - warm even in the sub-zero temperatures that Denmark was experiencing, but basic bordering on austere.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
However, a sub-zero start to the day is also expected in many other areas including central and northern England, north Wales and Northern Ireland.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
Repair crews are racing to reconnect homes to power and heat, but sub-zero temperatures and repeated air strikes have slowed their efforts.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
He was behind his curtain now, looking down at himself freezing under the impact of water in sub-zero winds.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
