sub

¹ American  

[suhb] / sʌb /

noun

1. a submarine.

2. a substitute.

   We've got a sub in English this week because our teacher's home with the flu.

3. a submarine sandwich.

4. a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

5. a subcontractor.

6. a sublieutenant.

7. a subordinate.

8. a subaltern.

9. British. an advance against one's wages, especially one granted as a subsistence allowance.

10. Photography. a substratum.

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verb (used without object)

subbed, subbing

1. to act as a substitute for another.

2. to act as the submissive partner in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

verb (used with object)

subbed, subbing

1. Photography. to coat (a film or plate) with a substratum.

SUB ² American  

abbreviation

1. supplemental unemployment benefits.

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sub. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. subordinated.

2. subscription.

3. substitute.

4. suburb.

5. suburban.

6. subway.

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sub- ⁴ American  

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin (subject; subtract; subvert; subsidy ); on this model, freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath” (subalpine; substratum ), “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly” (subcolumnar; subtropical ), “secondary,” “subordinate” (subcommittee; subplot ).

2. Chemistry.

   1. a prefix indicating a basic compound.

      subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.

   2. a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state.

      subchloride; suboxide.

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sub- ¹ British  

prefix

1. situated under or beneath

   subterranean

2. secondary in rank; subordinate

   subeditor

3. falling short of; less than or imperfectly

   subarctic

   subhuman

4. forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a whole

   subcommittee

5. 1. indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified element

      suboxide

   2. indicating that a salt is basic salt

      subacetate

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sub ² British  

/ sʌb /

noun

1. short for several words beginning with sub- See subaltern subeditor submarine subordinate subscription substandard substitute substratum

2. Formal term: subsistence allowance.  informal an advance payment of wages or salary

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verb

1. (intr) to serve as a substitute

2. informal (intr) to act as a substitute (for)

3. informal to grant or receive (an advance payment of wages or salary)

4. informal (tr) short for subedit

5. (tr) photog to apply a substratum to (a film or plate base)

sub. ³ British  

abbreviation

1. subeditor

2. subito (in music)

3. subscription

4. substitute

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sub– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “underneath or lower” (as in subsoil), “a subordinate or secondary part of something else” (as in subphylum.), or “less than completely” (as in subtropical.)

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Regionalisms

See hero sandwich.

Etymology

Origin of sub¹

By shortening of words prefixed with sub-

Origin of sub-¹

< Latin, combining form representing sub (preposition); akin to Greek hypó; hypo-

Example Sentences

Plus, we have a sub—a bald guy with legs like kindling sticks and his name safety-pinned to his shirt like a kindergartener whose mom thought he might forget.

From Literature

As the sub dropped below 200 metres, the last traces of light disappeared, and indigo faded into total darkness.

From Barron's

In the new study, published in Nature Nanotechnology, the researchers addressed these challenges by using a focused ion beam capable of cutting with sub micron precision.

From Science Daily

This group looks set, though I’d sub in Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” for “Bugonia,” Park’s movie offering a more humane — and funnier — look at ugly things people can do when desperate.

From Los Angeles Times

Now off to its strongest start to a year since 2021, the small-cap index has gained 7.9% this year, dwarfing the sub-2% gains seen in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

From The Wall Street Journal