sub

¹

[ suhb ]

noun

1. a submarine.
2. a substitute:

   We've got a sub in English this week because our teacher's home with the flu.

3. a submarine sandwich.
4. a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.
5. a subcontractor.
6. a sublieutenant.
7. a subordinate.
8. a subaltern.
9. British. an advance against one's wages, especially one granted as a subsistence allowance.
10. Photography. a substratum.

verb (used without object)

, subbed, sub·bing.

1. to act as a substitute for another.
2. to act as the submissive partner in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

verb (used with object)

, subbed, sub·bing.

1. Photography. to coat (a film or plate) with a substratum.

SUB

²

abbreviation for

1. supplemental unemployment benefits.

sub-

³

1. 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 ).
2. Chemistry.
   1. a prefix indicating a basic compound:

      subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.

   2. a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state:

      subchloride; suboxide.

sub.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. subordinated.
2. subscription.
3. substitute.
4. suburb.
5. suburban.
6. subway.

sub

¹

/ sʌb /

noun

1. short for several words beginning with sub- See subaltern subeditor submarine subordinate subscription substandard substitute substratum
2. informal.
   an advance payment of wages or salary Formal termsubsistence allowance

verb

1. intr to serve as a substitute
2. informal.
   intr to act as a substitute (for)
3. informal.
   to grant or receive (an advance payment of wages or salary)
4. informal.
   tr short for subedit
5. tr photog to apply a substratum to (a film or plate base)

sub-

²

prefix

1. situated under or beneath

   subterranean

2. secondary in rank; subordinate

   subeditor

3. falling short of; less than or imperfectly

   subhuman

   subarctic

4. forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a whole

   subcommittee

5. in chemistry
   1. indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified element

      suboxide

   2. indicating that a salt is basic salt

      subacetate

sub.

³

abbreviation for

1. subeditor
2. subito (in music)
3. subscription
4. substitute

sub–

1. 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. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of sub¹

By shortening of words prefixed with sub-

Origin of sub²

< Latin, combining form representing sub (preposition); akin to Greek hypó; hypo-

Word History and Origins

Origin of sub¹

from Latin sub

Example Sentences

A safety who usually subbed for Foster to give him occasional breathers had gotten hurt the week before, forcing him to play the entire game.

From Los Angeles Times

A team with a sub-.500 record has gone 3-2 in away games, with the losses coming against No. 4 Penn State and No. 22 Louisiana State.

From Los Angeles Times

I was looking to put some of their other players in but they were subs who came on and did good things.

From BBC

At James Dolan's palace to sub-.500 seasons, Trump expanded his already frighteningly loose definition of enemies to include journalists, political dissenters and an "amorphous" group of people that control the government through "vessels."

From Salon

“It has to stop at some stage,” Neeson said, adding that while he still performs his own fight scenes, his longtime collaborator Mark Vanselow subs in for the more intricate stunt work.

From Los Angeles Times