sub
noun
a submarine.
Jump To:
-
sub
-
SUB
SUBabbreviationsupplemental unemployment benefits.
-
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 ).
-
sub.
sub.abbreviationsubordinated.
-
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
-
a submarine.
-
a substitute.
We've got a sub in English this week because our teacher's home with the flu.
-
a submarine sandwich.
-
a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.
-
a subcontractor.
-
a sublieutenant.
-
a subordinate.
-
a subaltern.
-
British. an advance against one's wages, especially one granted as a subsistence allowance.
-
Photography. a substratum.
-
a subscriber.
verb (used without object)
subs,
present (3rd person singular)
subbed,
past participle, past
subbing
present participle
-
to act as a substitute for another.
-
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
-
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 ).
-
Chemistry.
-
a prefix indicating a basic compound.
subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.
-
a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state.
subchloride; suboxide.
-
sub.
4
American
abbreviation
-
subordinated.
-
subscription.
-
substitute.
-
suburb.
-
suburban.
-
subway.
sub-
1
British
prefix
-
situated under or beneath
subterranean
-
secondary in rank; subordinate
subeditor
-
falling short of; less than or imperfectly
subarctic
subhuman
-
forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a whole
subcommittee
-
-
indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified element
suboxide
-
indicating that a salt is basic salt
subacetate
-
sub
2
British
/ sʌb /
noun
-
short for several words beginning with sub- See subaltern subeditor submarine subordinate subscription substandard substitute substratum
-
Formal term: subsistence allowance. informal an advance payment of wages or salary
verb
-
(intr) to serve as a substitute
-
informal (intr) to act as a substitute (for)
-
informal to grant or receive (an advance payment of wages or salary)
-
informal (tr) short for subedit
-
(tr) photog to apply a substratum to (a film or plate base)
sub.
3
British
abbreviation
-
subeditor
-
subito (in music)
-
subscription
-
substitute
sub–
Scientific
Regionalisms
See hero sandwich.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
subsimple
-
subssimple
-
have subbedperfect
-
has subbedperfect
-
am subbingprogressive
-
are subbingprogressive
-
is subbingprogressive
-
have been subbingperfect progressive
-
has been subbingperfect progressive
Past
-
subbedsimple
-
had subbedperfect
-
was subbingprogressive
-
were subbingprogressive
-
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
The Kim regime could also be expanding uranium enrichment in anticipation of needing new supplies for a nuclear sub North Korea has under development, said Hailey Wingo, a co-author of the Vertic analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
The relentless cleaning of the vessel uncovered, hidden beneath the layers of concretion, a water tube that ran the length of the forty-foot sub.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Emma Davis helps to run The SUB Lisburn, which opened its doors to parents looking cheaper uniforms in 2021.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023
As the arrested strikers were escorted out of the SUB through doorways near the northwest side of the building, truckloads of New Mexico National Guard soldiers were arriving on the east side of the building.
From Washington Times ● May 16, 2020
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
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
This cohesion and continued growth enabled Islam to expand into sub- Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, setting the stage for Muslim ascendancy in the fifteenth century.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
In "sustain" sus- is a contraction of subs- for sub-.
From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton
"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
“Since this is the first run, we want to go easy on the sub. We’ll head out from shore and go twenty feet down, make a circle and come back.”
From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan
White then subs Clark out for Raven Johnson, having her take Clark’s seat, as they presumably continue to discuss their next play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 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
If the subs have done their jobs but weren’t paid, consider paying them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026
No subs until the 80th minute, he realised they were in control.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
The reason this didn’t happen is that Vasili Arkhipov, chief of staff for the four Soviet subs, just happened to be aboard B-59.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Even there, I tried to work when my kid was subbed out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The experiment failed, and Foden was subbed off 11 minutes into the second half replaced, coincidentally, by Palmer.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
So he subbed his substitute, which is always a brave move, and shortly afterwards also took off Saka, who had arguably been Arsenal's best attacking player up until that point.
From BBC ● May 10, 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
Mr. Cobb sometimes subbed for their Social Studies teacher, and he always managed to slip in a story about the Vietnam War, even when their class unit was on ancient civilizations.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.