submarine
Americannoun
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a vessel that can be submerged and navigated under water, usually built for warfare and armed with torpedoes or guided missiles.
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something situated or living under the surface of the sea, as a plant or animal.
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Chiefly Northeastern and North Midland U.S. a hero sandwich.
adjective
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situated, occurring, operating, or living under the surface of the sea.
a submarine mountain.
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of, relating to, or carried on by a submarine or submarines.
submarine warfare.
verb (used without object)
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to participate in the operating of a submarine.
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to move or slide under something.
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Slang.
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to be thrown under the steering wheel of the vehicle one is driving during a frontal crash.
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to be thrown out of one's seat belt in such a crash.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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Often shortened to: sub. a vessel, esp one designed for warfare, capable of operating for protracted periods below the surface of the sea
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(modifier)
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of or relating to a submarine
a submarine captain
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occurring or situated below the surface of the sea
a submarine cable
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Regionalisms
See hero sandwich.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of submarine
1640–50; 1895–1900 submarine for def. 1; sub- + marine
Explanation
If you're in the Navy, a submarine is a military ship that goes under the water. If you're hungry, it's a type of sandwich. This word mainly refers to a vessel that travels underwater and is armed with torpedoes — also known as a U-boat. But you can submarine someone by attacking them with a submarine or bringing them down with a blow to the legs. A disappointment can submarine — or sink — your hopes and dreams. In the kitchen, a submarine is what you call a long, crusty sandwich filled with meats and cheese — also known as a sub, grinder, hero, or hoagie.
Vocabulary lists containing submarine
Power Prefix: sub-
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World War I
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"Hitching a Ride"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A Chinese submarine fired the ballistic missile fitted with a dummy warhead earlier this month, reaching far into the Pacific Ocean.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
American drone boats attacked an Iranian submarine and ship facility at a naval base located on the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month in a kamikaze mission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"I call Walmart the battleship, and I call Aldi a kind of submarine."
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
First identified by Japanese geologists in 2006, petit-spot volcanoes are small submarine volcanoes that provide evidence for pockets of magma already present near the top of Earth's mantle, an idea originally proposed in the 1960s.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
It took almost an hour to unload the submarine.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
However, Woodburn said there was still a role for the traditional battleships and submarines that BAE has been manufacturing for decades.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Nuclear energy has long been used in naval ships and submarines as well as by icebreakers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
China operates six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines that can carry up to 12 missiles each, according to a 2024 Pentagon report to the US Congress.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
The latest fleet of submarines is a part of Carney's effort to increase military spending and intended to bolster the country's maritime sovereignty, especially in the Arctic.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
He worked, after graduating from college, for Westinghouse, building nuclear submarines.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
The historical odds will be against the Nets, who have been submarined by Durant’s January knee sprain, Harden’s February departure and Irving’s part-time availability because of his unvaccinated status.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2022
Theoretically, those Sunday figures could be submarined by a handful of meaningless rounds where Finau was never in the tournament mix.
From Golf Digest ● Feb. 3, 2020
Watt submarined under Havenstein and sacked Goff for an eight-yard loss on a second-and-nine play late in the second quarter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2019
You can imagine my disappointment when the performance was submarined by a microphone mishap, one that introduced unexpected, tinny plonks to the mix and seemingly pushed the British star out of tune.
From The Verge ● Feb. 16, 2016
"But if we were submarined," the captain pointed out, "the papers would go to the bottom."
From The Box with Broken Seals by Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
The Cyclones shot 32% in the second half, submarining their own cause further by turning the ball over 18 times.
From Fox News ● Mar. 26, 2022
Quisenberry, a submarining closer with a world-class wit, won five Rolaids Relief Man awards for the Royals in the 1980s.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2022
Chicago had the bases loaded with one out when submarining right-hander Tyler Rogers caught Willson Contreras looking at an 84 mph fastball on a 3-2 count.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 12, 2021
Since 1995, patent terms last for 20 years from the date of application, making the submarining strategy impractical.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 6, 2021
But instead I am this sphere of darkness submarining through the halls.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
