sublieutenant

[ suhb-loo-ten-uhnt ]

/ ˌsʌb luˈtɛn ənt /

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noun

British. a navy officer ranking next below a lieutenant.

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

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Origin of sublieutenant

First recorded in 1695–1705; sub- + lieutenant

OTHER WORDS FROM sublieutenant

sub·lieu·ten·an·cy, noun

Words nearby sublieutenant

sublet, sublethal, sub-level, sublicense, sublicensee, sublieutenant, sublimate, sublimation, sublime, Sublime Porte, subliminal

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

How to use sublieutenant in a sentence

My dear young lady, the Sublieutenant cried, approaching her with a leer.
The Fall of a Nation|Thomas Dixon
The Colonel bent low over his cups and laughed at a joke the Sublieutenant whispered.
The Fall of a Nation|Thomas Dixon
A sublieutenant sabers a student who had inadvertently jogged his elbow.
Comrade Kropotkin|Victor Robinson
Sublieutenant Boucher, apparently a mere lad, was in command, and handled his ship with the skill of an older sailor.
Sailing Alone Around The World|Joshua Slocum

"He says he wants a tow for that boat of his," reported the sublieutenant.
Told in the East|Talbot Mundy

British Dictionary definitions for sublieutenant

sublieutenant

/ (ˌsʌbləˈtɛnənt) /

noun

the most junior commissioned officer in the Royal Navy and certain other navies

Derived forms of sublieutenant

sublieutenancy, noun

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