sandwich
noun
two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.
sandwich
1 American
[sand-wich, san-]
/ ˈsænd wɪtʃ, ˈsæn- /
noun
-
sandwiches
plural
-
two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.
a tuna sandwich.
-
a partially slit bread roll, pita, etc., with a filling.
a falafel sandwich.
-
something resembling or suggesting a sandwich, as something in horizontal layers.
a plywood sandwich.
verb (used with object)
-
sandwiches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sandwiched,
past participle, past
-
sandwiching
present participle
-
to put into a sandwich.
-
to insert between two other things.
to sandwich a personal appointment between two business meetings.
Sandwich
2
American
[sand-wich, san-]
/ ˈsænd wɪtʃ, ˈsæn- /
noun
sandwich
British
/ ˈsænwɪdʒ, -wɪtʃ /
noun
-
two or more slices of bread, usually buttered, with a filling of meat, cheese, etc
-
anything that resembles a sandwich in arrangement
verb
-
to insert tightly between two other things
-
to put into a sandwich
-
to place between two dissimilar things
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sandwichsimple
-
sandwichessimple
-
have sandwichedperfect
-
has sandwichedperfect
-
am sandwichingprogressive
-
are sandwichingprogressive
-
is sandwichingprogressive
-
have been sandwichingperfect progressive
-
has been sandwichingperfect progressive
Past
-
sandwichedsimple
-
had sandwichedperfect
-
was sandwichingprogressive
-
were sandwichingprogressive
-
had been sandwichingperfect progressive
Future
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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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:
The launch recalls Popeyes’ original chicken hit sandwich, which sold out nationwide.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
You can, however, buy someone half of your sandwich or offer them a cup of coffee.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
After the sandwich company was purchased by Blackstone in January 2025, customer complaints about declining quality and rising prices have dogged it ever since.
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2026
Just wait till you see the industrial sandwich factory where Bernie works.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Michael stood at the counter eating his sandwich quietly, trying to imagine Mr. Mosley as a twelve-year-old.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
By January 2021, more than 20 American fast-food brands had introduced or rereleased chicken sandwiches, including Panda Express, which launched an Orange Chicken Sandwich.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Despite his reforms, however, Sandwich and his sailors couldn’t save the Colonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Al Wallis, owner of the The Sandwich Bar in Looe, said the cost of living crisis had made it a challenging time but the influx of holidaymakers over the bank holiday "makes a big difference".
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Assemble the Sandwich: On a toasted slice of sourdough, pile the giardiniera chicken salad.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2025
“We do know that it was to Sandwich the most sacred and maddening of his visions. For he could never see the outcome, although it came to him many times.”
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Parents had arrived equipped with sandwiches, books, playing cards and colouring paper to entertain their children during the wait for the pope on his way to a makeshift alter down the road.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
McDonald’s on Wednesday said it will make the biggest menu upgrade in its history to win diners back, with an overhaul that includes new chicken sandwiches and fresher coffee.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Last Sunday night, my grocery order arrived without my usual breakfast sandwiches.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
"He doesn't have to eat those cold sandwiches anymore," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
I set the plate of sandwiches on the table and sit beside him.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
All three preceding quarter-finals on Arthur Ashe Stadium - Aryna Sabalenka beating Linda Noskova and Jessica Pegula overcoming Emma Navarro, with Tiafoe's win sandwiched in the middle - went the full distance.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Dozens of “staff members” fill rows of desks in the bullpen — some clack away on keyboards, others have phone receivers sandwiched between their head and shoulders while taking notes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Per one Redditor, goat cheese and fig jam sandwiched between a date makes for an excellent sweet-savory snack.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Mining has destroyed our region," said Salle Kumar, a 34-year-old farmer who lives in a village sandwiched between two massive mines in Rajasthan.
From Barron's ● May 31, 2026
I'm sandwiched between two adults who both look like they've got lots on their mind.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Job growth averaged 150,000 to 200,000 a month in the decade sandwiching the 2020-2021 pandemic.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
Our gulab jamun ice cream cakes have become a defining product for Malai: saffron syrup–soaked cardamom cakes sandwiching our rose with Cinnamon roasted Almonds Ice Cream .
From Salon ● May 31, 2025
Norris and Piastri had been second and fourth, sandwiching Russell, but lost their times for exceeding track limits.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2023
Brooks is set to return Nov. 29 to Dec. 16, sandwiching Adele’s “Weekends With Adele” gigs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2023
She clasped her free hand around mine, sandwiching my fist between her small but strong fingers.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
