sub

[ suhb ]

/ sʌb /

Informal.

Save This Word!

See synonyms for sub on Thesaurus.com

noun

a submarine.

a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

a substitute.

a submarine sandwich. See entry at hero sandwich.

a subcontractor.

a sublieutenant.

a subordinate.

a subaltern.

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

Photography. a substratum.

verb (used without object), subbed, sub·bing.

to act as a substitute for another.

verb (used with object), subbed, sub·bing.

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

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of sub

By shortening of words prefixed with sub-

regional variations of sub

4. See hero sandwich.

Words nearby sub

suasion, sua sponte, suave, suaviter in modo, fortiter in re, suavity, sub, subacetate, subacid, subacute, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, subadar

Other definitions for sub (2 of 4)

SUB

abbreviation

supplemental unemployment benefits.

Other definitions for sub (3 of 4)

sub-

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).

Chemistry.

a prefix indicating a basic compound: subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.
a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state: subchloride; suboxide.

Also su-, suc-, suf-, sug-, sum-, sup-, sur-, sus- .

Origin of sub-

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

Other definitions for sub (4 of 4)

sub.

abbreviation

subordinated.

subscription.

substitute.

suburb.

suburban.

subway.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sub in a sentence

It’s not just the likes of Bud Light and Duracell that are looking to capitalize on gaming’s pivot from sub culture into popular culture, it’s also those not traditionally associated with the space.
‘We want our brands to be where people are’: As gaming becomes a culture touchstone, advertisers toggle in|Seb Joseph|December 1, 2020|Digiday
From both a nutritional and textural standpoint, it’s an excellent sub for turkey.
Five better turkey alternatives to serve this Thanksgiving|Claire Maldarelli|November 24, 2020|Popular-Science
While not every one of Arc’s clients operates a subscription business, subs have become an increasingly important priority to Arc clients since Arc launched subscription tools last year.
‘Go to market faster’: The Washington Post’s Arc goes outside the tent for payment and data integrations|Max Willens|November 24, 2020|Digiday
I couldn’t get into first-person shooters the way he could, but it wasn’t far from where I rubbernecked between the console stalls with a backpack and soda, testing out demos and watching anime subs downloaded from mIRC.
Fiction: Quiet earth philosophy|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Hundreds of thousands of subs for one cable company alone just last year.
Can You Hear Me Now? (Ep. 406)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 20, 2020|Freakonomics
“One-third of South Asians and more than half of all Sub-Saharan Africans suffer from malnutrition or undernutrition,” he writes.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
About one in three girls in sub-Saharan Africa experience sexual violence before turning 18.
To End HIV, Stop Violence Against Adolescent Girls|Michele Moloney-Kitts|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This fate is unfortunately not rare for girls, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
To End HIV, Stop Violence Against Adolescent Girls|Michele Moloney-Kitts|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many Obama administration sub-Cabinet positions (e.g. Surgeon General) have gone unfilled because of GOP opposition.
If You Think D.C. Is Awful Now, Wait Until Wednesday|Jonathan Alter|November 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sub- and counter-cultures are what have driven McKell throughout his career as a portrait photographer.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Habet Rimbegui ostia sua sub gradu quadragesimo tertio cum besse.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Lannes enlisted in the second battalion of the volunteers of Gers, and was at once elected sub-lieutenant by his fellow-citizens.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Not only did he provide sub-octave and super-octave couplers freely, but he even added a Swell Sub-quint to Great coupler!
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
REEF k, in latitude 14 degrees 47 minutes, has a dry sand upon it: its sub-marine extent was not ascertained.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Then he returned to his province, entered the seminary, and became a sub-deacon of the diocese of Nueva Segovia.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for sub (1 of 3)

sub

/ (sʌb) /

noun

short for several words beginning with sub-See subaltern, subeditor, submarine, subordinate, subscription, substandard, substitute, substratum (def. 6)

British informal an advance payment of wages or salaryFormal term: subsistence allowance

verb subs, subbing or subbed

(intr) to serve as a substitute

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

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

(tr) informal short for subedit

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

British Dictionary definitions for sub (2 of 3)

sub-

prefix

situated under or beneathsubterranean

secondary in rank; subordinatesubeditor

falling short of; less than or imperfectlysubarctic; subhuman

forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a wholesubcommittee

(in chemistry)

indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified elementsuboxide
indicating that a salt is basic saltsubacetate

Word Origin for sub-

from Latin sub

British Dictionary definitions for sub (3 of 3)

sub.

abbreviation for

subeditor

subito (in music)

subscription

substitute

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for sub

sub-

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.)

sub

Origin of sub

regional variations of sub

Words nearby sub

Other definitions for sub (2 of 4)

Other definitions for sub (3 of 4)

Origin of sub-

Other definitions for sub (4 of 4)

Words related to sub

How to use sub in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sub (1 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for sub (2 of 3)

Word Origin for sub-

British Dictionary definitions for sub (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for sub