submarine

[ noun suhb-muh-reen, suhb-muh-reen; adjective, verb suhb-muh-reen ]

/ noun ˌsʌb məˈrin, ˈsʌb məˌrin; adjective, verb ˌsʌb məˈrin /

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noun

a vessel that can be submerged and navigated under water, usually built for warfare and armed with torpedoes or guided missiles.

something situated or living under the surface of the sea, as a plant or animal.

Chiefly Northeastern and North Midland U.S. a hero sandwich.

adjective

situated, occurring, operating, or living under the surface of the sea: a submarine mountain.

of, relating to, or carried on by a submarine or submarines: submarine warfare.

verb (used without object), sub·ma·rined, sub·ma·rin·ing.

to participate in the operating of a submarine.

to move or slide under something.

Slang.

to be thrown under the steering wheel of the vehicle one is driving during a frontal crash.
to be thrown out of one's seat belt in such a crash.

verb (used with object), sub·ma·rined, sub·ma·rin·ing.

to attack or sink by submarine.

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 submarine

1640–50; 1895–1900 for def. 1; sub- + marine

regional variations of submarine

3. See hero sandwich.

OTHER WORDS FROM submarine

an·ti·sub·ma·rine, adjective

Words nearby submarine

subluxate, subluxation, submachine gun, submandibular gland, submarginal, submarine, submarine chaser, submariner, submarining, submatrix, submaxilla

How to use submarine in a sentence

Undersea robots, submarines and devices that track fish or other sea animals use a similar technique.
Bye-bye batteries? Power a phone with fabric or a beacon with sound|Kathryn Hulick|January 6, 2021|Science News For Students
Shuttered in a house on foreign soil where I don’t speak the language, I have found myself snapping back into submarine deployment mode.
How a Nuclear Submarine Officer Learned to Live in Tight Quarters - Issue 94: Evolving|Steve Weiner|December 30, 2020|Nautilus
Instead of rockets, the proposed lander would use fans to push itself around, almost like a submarine, turning the disadvantage of the dense atmosphere into an advantage.
How future spacecraft might handle tricky landings on Venus or Europa|Lisa Grossman|December 23, 2020|Science News
After we’d laid the groundwork in the design-and-build class, my students and I were joined in our efforts by Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, where researchers work on things like missile guidance systems and submarine navigation.
My satellite would fit in a small suitcase.|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Lost to the sea, sunken ships and submarines can create new habitats in the deep.
Analyze This: Shipwrecks provide a home for bottom-dwelling fish|Carolyn Wilke|December 4, 2020|Science News For Students
The new submarine and the LRS-B are “uploadable” systems that can carry more warheads if strategic requirements change.
US & Russia Re-Arming for a New Cold War|Bill Sweetman|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
William—absent Kate and Prince George—arrived by helicopter to Gosport Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Hampshire today.
William Has a Tipple in the Line of Duty|Tom Sykes|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tactical balance between the surface warship and the submarine has strategic impact.
Tomorrow’s Stealthy Subs Could Sink America’s Navy|Bill Sweetman|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Other improvements are making the submarine more elusive and lethal.
Tomorrow’s Stealthy Subs Could Sink America’s Navy|Bill Sweetman|May 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The onetime nuclear submarine weapons officer has entered a not guilty plea.
Former Navy Officer Bryan Caisse Is Accused of Defrauding Friends and Classmates|Michael Daly|January 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, the Australian submarine has got up through the Narrows and has torpedoed a gunboat at Chunuk.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The submarine E.14 sailed into harbour after a series of hair-raising adventures in the Sea of Marmora.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
As we were leaving, a message came in to say that an enemy submarine had been sighted off Gaba Tepe.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The submarine scare is full on; the beastly things have frightened us more than all the Turks and all their German guns.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Asking his commands, the stranger said, 'I am one of the submarine inhabitants of this neighborhood.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for submarine

submarine

/ (ˈsʌbməˌriːn, ˌsʌbməˈriːn) /

noun

a vessel, esp one designed for warfare, capable of operating for protracted periods below the surface of the seaOften shortened to: sub

(modifier)

of or relating to a submarinea submarine captain
occurring or situated below the surface of the seaa submarine cable

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

submarine

Origin of submarine

regional variations of submarine

OTHER WORDS FROM submarine

Words nearby submarine

Words related to submarine

How to use submarine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for submarine