subbasement

[ suhb-beys-muhnt ]

noun

1. a basement or one of a series of basements below the main basement of a building.

subbasement

/ ˈsʌbˌbeɪsmənt /

noun

1. an underground storey of a building beneath the main basement

Word History and Origins

Origin of subbasement¹

First recorded in 1900–05; sub- + basement

Example Sentences

Ms. Prohaska arrived in Rockaway with nets, but the subbasement was too deep to reach the goldfish, she said.

From New York Times

For one thing, the hotel’s reputation had plummeted into its subbasement, with mocking public complaints about peeling wallpaper, worn furniture and bedbugs.

From Seattle Times

The institute also converted a vast subbasement in its main building into a shelter with cots and a cooking area.

From Science Magazine

He — Johannes Martin Kränzle, a characterful foil to Volle’s Wotan — forms his own dominion of research in the subbasement.

From New York Times

This one had restricted levels above the lecture hall and admin offices, as well as a second bay of elevators and stairs which led to five tiers of subbasement.

From Slate

Related Words

• apartment
• basement
• vault