subgrade

[ suhb-greyd ]

/ ˈsʌbˌgreɪd /

Civil Engineering, Building Trades.

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noun

the prepared earth surface on which a pavement or the ballast of a railroad track is placed or upon which the foundation of a structure is built.

adjective

beneath the finished ground level of a project.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of subgrade

First recorded in 1895–1900; sub- + grade

Words nearby subgrade

subfuscous, subgenre, subgenus, subgingival, subglacial, subgrade, subgroup, subgum, subha, subhalide, subharmonic

How to use subgrade in a sentence

Some engineers advocate that in preparing the subgrade, the earth be thoroughly rolled; others prefer not to roll the subgrade.
American Rural Highways|T. R. Agg
The earth subgrade is brought to the proper elevation and cross section and is thoroughly rolled.
American Rural Highways|T. R. Agg
Its location is in the centre of the tunnel, 41/2 feet above subgrade, and 11/2 feet above the road bed.
Report of the Hoosac Tunnel and Troy and Greenfield Railroad, by the Joint Standing Committee of 1866.|Tappan Wentworth
In each grade and subgrade date of commission, appointment, or warrant determines the order of precedence.
Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army|War Department.

The pavement laid was bitulithic and the subgrade was an old macadam road built by the County.
Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission|S. Benson, W. L. Thompson, R. A. Booth, Herbert Nunn

British Dictionary definitions for subgrade

subgrade

/ (ˈsʌbˌɡreɪd) /

noun

the ground beneath a roadway or pavement

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