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  • sandwich
    sandwich
    noun
    two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.
  • Sandwich
    Sandwich
    noun
    a town in E Kent, in SE England: one of the Cinque Ports.
Synonyms

sandwich

1 American  
[sand-wich, san-] / ˈsænd wɪtʃ, ˈsæn- /

noun

  1. two or more slices of bread with a layer of meat, fish, cheese, etc., between them.

    a tuna sandwich.

  2. a partially slit bread roll, pita, etc., with a filling.

    a falafel sandwich.

  3. open sandwich.

  4. something resembling or suggesting a sandwich, as something in horizontal layers.

    a plywood sandwich.


verb (used with object)

  1. to put into a sandwich.

  2. 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

  1. a town in E Kent, in SE England: one of the Cinque Ports.


sandwich British  
/ ˈsænwɪdʒ, -wɪtʃ /

noun

  1. two or more slices of bread, usually buttered, with a filling of meat, cheese, etc

  2. anything that resembles a sandwich in arrangement

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to insert tightly between two other things

  2. to put into a sandwich

  3. to place between two dissimilar things

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing sandwich

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.

They recommend making a simple chicken salad, which can be enjoyed on its own or in a sandwich, along with fajitas, pot pie, buffalo chicken dip, empanadas and chicken noodle soup.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

So instead, I headed back toward where I started, walking past the high-end shops of Melrose Place before arriving at Zinque for a simple prosciutto and cornichon sandwich and an Arnold Palmer.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

“Then your guests can make a grilled barbecue chicken sandwich, and you stretch the finished chicken even further.”

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

These compounds feature a metal atom positioned between two carbon rings, giving them a distinctive "sandwich" structure.

From Science Daily • May 22, 2026

There were even a few of Penelope’s exact favorite type of sandwich: cheddar cheese with thinly sliced apple and a dab of mustard.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

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