sub

See also: sub-, sub., and ␚

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: sŭb, IPA^(key): /sʌb/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌb
• Hyphenation: sub

Etymology 1

Shortened form of any of various words beginning with sub-.

Noun

sub (plural subs)

1. A submarine.
   • 1989, James Cameron, The Abyss, spoken by Alan "Hippy" Carnes (Todd Graff):

     You know, we got Russian subs creepin' around; anythin' goes wrong they can say whatever they want happened! Give their folks medals!

2. A submarine sandwich: a sandwich made on a long bun.

   We can get subs at that deli.

3. (informal) A substitute, often in sports or teaching.

   With the score 4 to 1, they brought in subs.

   She worked as a sub until she got her teaching certificate.

   • 1930, Boy's Live; Philip Scruggs, There Can Be Victory, page 20:

     At any other school you would be playing varsity, and Wallace has you pigeon-holed on the subs." "Maybe he has his reasons," Jim replied. "And he hasn't pigeon-holed me on the subs yet — not this season.

4. (Britain, informal, often in plural) A subscription: a payment made for membership of a club, etc.
   • 1951, H. L. Gold, “Annual Report”, in Galaxy Science Fiction, volume 2, number 6, page 2:

     According to the best available information, GALAXY has several times as many subs as any other science fiction magazine!

5. (Internet, informal) A subtitle.

   I've just noticed a mistake in the subs for this film.

6. (computing, programming) A subroutine (sometimes one that does not return a value, as distinguished from a function, which does).
   • 2002, Nathan Patwardhan; Ellen Siever; Stephen Spainhour, Perl in a nutshell:

     The default accessor can be overridden by declaring a sub of the same name in the package.

   • 2004, P. K. McBride, Introductory Visual Basic.NET, page 49:

     So far, all the subs and functions that we have used have been those built into the system, or those written to handle events from controls […]

7. (colloquial) A subeditor.
8. (colloquial) A subcontractor.
9. (slang) A subwoofer.
10. (BDSM, informal) A submissive.
    • 2004, Paul Baker, Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang:

      […] roleplay where a sub or bottom takes care of a top's bodily and hygiene needs […]

    • 2007, Laurell K Hamilton, The Harlequin:

      "It means that I'm both a sub and a dom." "Submissive and dominant," I said. He nodded.

    • 2008, Lannie Rose, How to Change Your Sex:

      Typically a dom and a sub have a more or less standard routine that they like to go through all the time.

11. (colloquial, dated) A subordinate.
12. (colloquial, dated) A subaltern.
    • 1911, J. Milton Hayes, The Green Eye of the Yellow God:

      He was known as 'Mad Carew' by the subs at Khatmandu,
      He was hotter than they felt inclined to tell;
      But for all his foolish pranks, he was worshipped in the ranks,
      And the Colonel's daughter smiled on him as well.

13. (colloquial, Internet) A subscription (or (by extension) a subscriber) to an online channel or feed.

    I'm totally stoked; just got 10 new subs after my last video.

14. (colloquial) Subsistence money: part of a worker's wages paid before the work is finished.
15. (Internet slang) Short for subreddit.

Synonyms

• (submarine sandwich): submarine, submarine sandwich; grinder, hero, hero sandwich, hoagie, po' boy, spuckie, torpedo, wedge

Hypernyms

• (submarine sandwich): sandwich

Derived terms

• fansub

Translations

submarine — See also translations at submarine

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 潛艇／潜艇 (zh) (qiántǐng)

• Czech: ponorka (cs) f
• Finnish: sukellusvene (fi); suklari (slang)
• German: U-Boot (de) n, (nuke) Atom-U-Boot (de) n
• Italian: sottomarino (it) m
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Volapük: daivanaf, dismelanaf

submarine sandwich

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 潛艇三文治／潜艇三文治 (cim⁴ teng⁵ saam¹ man⁴ zi⁶)

  Mandarin: 潛艇三明治／潜艇三明治 (qiántǐng sānmíngzhì), 潛艇堡／潜艇堡 (qiántǐngbǎo)

• Finnish: sämpylä (fi), subi
• French: sandwich sous-marin m
• Hindi: सब (hi) m (sab)
• Icelandic: langloka f
• Russian: субмари́на-сэ́ндвич m (submarína-sɛ́ndvič)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

substitute

• Finnish: varamies

slang: subscription

• Finnish: subi

submissive in BDSM

• Finnish: subi

subtitle — See also translations at subtitle

• Finnish: tekstitys (fi), subi (colloquial)

computing: subroutine — see subroutine

subeditor — see subeditor

subcontractor — see subcontractor

subordinate — see subordinate

subwoofer — see subwoofer

subaltern — see subaltern

subscription to an online channel or feed

• Finnish: subi

subscriber to an online channel or feed

• Finnish: tilaaja (fi), subi (colloquial)

informal: subsistence money

• Finnish: kotti (fi)

Verb

sub (third-person singular simple present subs, present participle subbing, simple past and past participle subbed)

1. (US, informal) To substitute for.
2. (US, informal) To work as a substitute teacher, especially in primary and secondary education.
3. (Britain, informal, soccer) To replace (a player) with a substitute.

   He never really made a contribution to the match, so it was no surprise when he was subbed at half time.

4. (Britain, informal, soccer) Less commonly, and often as sub on, to bring on (a player) as a substitute.

   He was subbed on half way through the second half, and scored within minutes.

5. (Britain) To perform the work of a subeditor or copy editor; to subedit.
6. (slang, Internet, transitive) To subtitle (usually a film or television program).
7. (UK, slang, transitive) To lend.
   • 2011, Rowland Rivron, What the F*** Did I Do Last Night?:

     I kept up the pleasantries as we were drying our hands and, realizing I didn't have any change for the lodger, I asked him, one drummer to another like, if he could sub me a quid for the dish.

8. (slang, intransitive) To subscribe.
9. (BDSM) To take a submissive role.
   • 2012, Alicia White, Jessica's Breakdown, page 53:

     You've never subbed before. Jessica will be expecting a man on stage that follows orders and enjoys what she's going to be doing. Do you want to be spanked? Possibly whipped?

   • 2012, Tiffany Reisz, Little Red Riding Crop:

     Wasn't like she'd never subbed before. She'd been a sub longer than she'd been a Dominatrix–ten years she'd spent in a collar.

Derived terms

• fansub

See also

• switch (one who is willing to take either a sadistic or a masochistic role)

Etymology 2

From Latin sub.

Preposition

sub

1. Under.

Verb

sub (third-person singular simple present subs, present participle subbing, simple past and past participle subbed)

1. To coat with a layer of adhering material; to planarize by means of such a coating.
2. (microscopy) To prepare (a slide) with a layer of transparent substance to support and/or fix the sample.
   • 1997, Marina A. Lynch, S. M. O'Mara (editors), Ali D. Hames, D. Rickwood (series editors), Neuroscience Labfax, page 166,

     Ensure that gloves are worn when handling subbed slides. Although the following protocol describes subbing with gelatin, slides may also be coated with either 3-(triethoxysilyl-)propylamine (TESPA) or poly-L-lysine for in situ hybridization.

Anagrams

• Bus., SBU, UBS, USB, bus, bus.

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English sub.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

sub c (plural subs)

1. submarine, sub

Esperanto

Etymology

From Latin sub.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): [sub]
• Hyphenation: sub

Preposition

sub

1. under, below

Antonyms

• super

Ido

Preposition

sub

1. under, below

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsub/
• Rhymes: -ub
• Hyphenation: sùb

Etymology 1

Clipping of subacqueo.

Noun

sub m or f by sense (invariable)

1. skin-diver, scuba diver

   Synonym: subacqueo

Etymology 2

Clipping of English submissive.

Noun

sub m or f by sense (invariable)

1. bottom, submissive (BDSM partner)

See also

• dom

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *supo, from Proto-Indo-European *upó.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /sub/, [s̠ʊb]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /sub/, [sub]

Preposition

sub (+ accusative, ablative)

1. (with ablative) under, beneath
2. (with ablative) behind
3. (with ablative) at the feet of
4. (with ablative) within, during
5. (with ablative) about, around (time); just before, just after, shortly before, shortly after
6. (with accusative) under, up to, up under, close to (of a motion)
7. (with accusative) until, before, up to, about

Derived terms

• sub rosā
• subter
• subtus
• supīnus

Descendants

• Old Galician-Portuguese: sob
  • Galician: so
  • Portuguese: sob
• Old Spanish: so
  • Spanish: so (in certain fossilized expressions)
• → English: sub

References

• “sub”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “sub”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• sub in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• sub in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • at the foot of the mountain: sub radicibus montis, in infimo monte, sub monte
    
  • in the open air: sub divo
    
  • to come within the sphere of the senses: sub sensum or sub oculos, sub aspectum cadere
    
  • to come within the sphere of the senses: sensibus or sub sensus subiectum esse
    
  • to have to submit to the uncertainties of fortune; to be subject to Fortune's caprice: sub varios incertosque casus subiectum esse
    
  • to be comprised under the term 'fear.: sub metum subiectum esse
    
  • to represent a thing vividly: oculis or sub oculos, sub aspectum subicere aliquid
    
  • graphic depiction: rerum sub aspectum paene subiectio (De Or. 3. 53. 202)
    
  • to give a general idea of a thing: sub unum aspectum subicere aliquid
    
  • to sell a prisoner of war as a slave: aliquem sub corona vendere (B. G. 3. 16)
    
  • the case is still undecided: adhuc sub iudice lis est (Hor. A. P. 77)
    
  • to occupy the foot of a hill: considere sub monte (sub montis radicibus)
    
  • the free men are sold as slaves: libera corpora sub corona (hasta) veneunt (B. G. 3. 16. 4)
    
  • to be subject to some one, under some one's dominion: sub imperio et dicione alicuius esse
    

Romanian

Alternative forms

• subt, supt (popular)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin subtus, from sub, from Proto-Italic *supo, from Proto-Indo-European *upo. Compare Aromanian sum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sub/
• Rhymes: -ub

Preposition

sub (+accusative)

1. under, below, beneath, underneath

Derived terms

• dedesubt

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsub/ [ˈsuβ̞]
• Rhymes: -ub
• Syllabification: sub

Preposition

sub

1. under

Swedish

Noun

sub c

1. (slang) a subwoofer, a bass loudspeaker; Contraction of subwoofer.

Declension

Declension of sub
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	sub	subben	subbar	subbarna
Genitive	subs	subbens	subbars	subbarnas

See also

• subba
• subbe

Anagrams

• bus