sandwich
1 Americannoun
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two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.
a tuna sandwich.
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a partially slit bread roll, pita, etc., with a filling.
a falafel sandwich.
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something resembling or suggesting a sandwich, as something in horizontal layers.
a plywood sandwich.
verb (used with object)
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to put into a sandwich.
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to insert between two other things.
to sandwich a personal appointment between two business meetings.
noun
noun
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two or more slices of bread, usually buttered, with a filling of meat, cheese, etc
-
anything that resembles a sandwich in arrangement
verb
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to insert tightly between two other things
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to put into a sandwich
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to place between two dissimilar things
Etymology
Origin of sandwich
First recorded in 1755–65; named after the fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718–92)
Explanation
A sandwich is a meal in the form of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or some other filling between them. Your favorite lunch might be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When you put something between slices of bread, it's a sandwich. It's named for the Fourth Earl of Sandwich who's credited with inventing it. Sandwich is a verb too, that describes putting something between two other things, like sandwiching gym class between math and lunch. Sometimes sandwich involves being squeezed uncomfortably, like having to sandwich yourself between people on a crowded elevator or subway car.
Vocabulary lists containing sandwich
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 3
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List 2
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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.
The campaign group said high levels of salt were not inevitable, comparing a Pret A Manager chicken sandwich that contained 2.22g of salt with a similar one from Greggs that had only 1.1g.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
He said he often brings a sandwich from the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills to eat at the cemetery.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
One scientist is from Transylvania, while another is from Uruguay, where a chivito is a popular sandwich.
From Science Daily • May 12, 2026
An IPO from Inspire would follow a similar confidential filing from sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s last month.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
Even Ana is acting weird, like she thinks I might surprise her with a kiss while she’s eating her grilled cheese sandwich.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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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.