sub
noun
a submarine.
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sub
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SUB
SUBabbreviationsupplemental unemployment benefits.
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sub-
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 ).
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sub.
sub.abbreviationsubordinated.
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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
1 American
[suhb]
/ sʌb /
noun
subs
plural
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a submarine.
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a substitute.
We've got a sub in English this week because our teacher's home with the flu.
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a submarine sandwich.
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a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.
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a subcontractor.
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a sublieutenant.
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a subordinate.
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a subaltern.
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British. an advance against one's wages, especially one granted as a subsistence allowance.
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Photography. a substratum.
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a subscriber.
verb (used without object)
subs,
present (3rd person singular)
subbed,
past participle, past
subbing
present participle
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to act as a substitute for another.
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to act as the submissive partner in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.
verb (used with object)
subs,
present (3rd person singular)
subbed,
past participle, past
subbing
present participle
SUB
2
American
abbreviation
sub-
3
American
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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 ).
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Chemistry.
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a prefix indicating a basic compound.
subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.
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a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state.
subchloride; suboxide.
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sub.
4
American
abbreviation
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subordinated.
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subscription.
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substitute.
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suburb.
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suburban.
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subway.
sub-
1
British
prefix
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situated under or beneath
subterranean
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secondary in rank; subordinate
subeditor
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falling short of; less than or imperfectly
subarctic
subhuman
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forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a whole
subcommittee
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indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified element
suboxide
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indicating that a salt is basic salt
subacetate
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sub
2
British
/ sʌb /
noun
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short for several words beginning with sub- See subaltern subeditor submarine subordinate subscription substandard substitute substratum
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Formal term: subsistence allowance. informal an advance payment of wages or salary
verb
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(intr) to serve as a substitute
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informal (intr) to act as a substitute (for)
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informal to grant or receive (an advance payment of wages or salary)
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informal (tr) short for subedit
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(tr) photog to apply a substratum to (a film or plate base)
sub.
3
British
abbreviation
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subeditor
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subito (in music)
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subscription
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substitute
sub–
Scientific
Regionalisms
See hero sandwich.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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subsimple
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subssimple
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have subbedperfect
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has subbedperfect
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am subbingprogressive
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are subbingprogressive
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is subbingprogressive
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have been subbingperfect progressive
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has been subbingperfect progressive
Past
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subbedsimple
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had subbedperfect
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was subbingprogressive
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were subbingprogressive
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had been subbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sub1
By shortening of words prefixed with sub-
Origin of sub-3
< Latin, combining form representing sub (preposition); akin to Greek hypó; see hypo-
Explanation
If a history buff mentions a sub, she's probably referring to an underwater warship. But if your friend wants a sub for lunch, he hasn't suddenly developed a taste for warships — he just wants a sandwich. Sub is short for submarine, the cylindrical watercraft with rounded ends that can operate deep beneath the water. Sub can also refer to a long sandwich filled with meat, cheese, and veggies; this kind of sub goes by different names in different parts of the country, including hero, hoagie, and grinder. The sub in your geometry classroom is probably just a substitute teacher.
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:
Quantum mechanics is the branch of physics that explains how matter and energy behave at the atomic and sub atomic scale.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
During the 13-week quarter that ended June 28, that growth stood at 2.3%, the company said, with its popular limited-time chicken salad sub and digital marketing efforts driving the gains.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
The sub took up to three people on the dives, collecting the fossil samples using robotic arms.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Watch out for him as a super sub.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
“You would rather we have to fight that sub? It’s a hundred times bigger than ours.”
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
Emma Davis helps to run The SUB Lisburn, which opened its doors to parents looking cheaper uniforms in 2021.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023
From a raised seating area outside the SUB cafeteria, Dressman saw a guardsman running toward him.
From Washington Times ● May 16, 2020
The reality was that he and Darcy didn’t have much cushion, and his SUB pay was about to be cut in half, and his GM health benefits were going to run out.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2017
“FUM” is a slang term for F&M;, and SUB stands for “Student Union Board.”
From Washington Times ● Jul. 4, 2015
Send mail to [email protected] with the usual "SUB CJI Your-Full-Name" in the text of your message.
From The Online World by De Presno, Odd
Due to its unusual climate, the island is rich in biodiversity, serving as a breeding site for southern elephant and sub- Antarctic fur seals.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2025
The fact that these Kraken are still capable of building leads and playing tight sure would indicate that they’re destined for more than this mercurial, sub-.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2023
Eris “is essentially a sub-, sub-variant of XBB,” according to Pan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2023
Nubia was the name Egyptians gave to the expansive area south of the first cataract and extending into sub- Saharan Africa.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The first class is Spanish, all about sub- jects and predicates.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
"For Deniz it was clear, he gave us a lot in the last game when he was a sub. Deniz doesn't need to be prepared, he can jump in right away."
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
A quick run-down: I adore sunchokes but they're notoriously difficult to find at most stores, so if you need to sub. this out for anything, I'd opt for any other root vegetable.
From Salon ● May 14, 2023
Unperplexed by all the hubbub, Said he: “It’s the guy from Grubhub, Bringing me my favorite pub sub. Just a sandwich, nothing more.”
From Washington Post ● Aug. 8, 2019
“I want to see the difference in a nuclear-powered sub. For me, it’ll be like going on a Carnival Cruise ship,” he said.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 29, 2014
“We had a math sub. She let us out early.”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
Shearer said: "When England were under the cosh, the manager made the right substitutions. The subs came on and they did their job. What an incredible night."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Onto the rest: “Maid of Honour” calls back to his failed-but-intriguing experiment in deep house, 2022’s “Honestly, Nevermind,” but subs out that LP’s raver fog for squelchy Miami bass, footwork and ghettotech.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Subs are making $500 a day, but there are fewer subs than teachers and striking teachers forfeit pay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Sometimes managers have pre-set subs at 60 minutes, like Ruben Amorim did, and it throws the momentum to the other team.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
As part of a long-standing tradition, the Permian starters wore black shirts during practice and the subs wore white.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Somewhere in the mix of all this is Ronaldo, who got the first knockout stage goal of his Cup career with that penalty kick, but also was subbed off late for fresher legs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
He has started 18 games but always been subbed off.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026
The scoring streak started immediately after Hayes subbed back into the game with 7:20 remaining after he scored on his first possession, cutting to the basket for a dunk off an assist from Doncic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2026
"The win, that's the most important thing," said James, who received a standing ovation when he was subbed out for son Bronny James, seconds after nabbing his 10th rebound.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
“Imam Malik subbed for our class today,” Rabiya says.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Nearing his 126th show, Fedigan has worked his way up the ranks from subbing in as a spotlight operator to overseeing the entire technical production of hit shows like “Chicago.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Megyn Kelly, however, defended Carlson, arguing on X that “No one is expecting any of the ppl subbing for Charlie to imitate Charlie.”
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2025
Importantly, subbing out water for sports drinks is not going to cut it: “It functionally makes very little difference in terms of people’s outcome,” Charlton said.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2025
Dawson was subbing for Chris Woakes, who will miss the remainder of the match with a shoulder injury sustained on day one.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2025
Can’t say the same for Khyler, who’s subbing at catcher.
From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone
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.