sub en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /sʌb/
- sŭb
- (US) audio
- /sʊb/ (Ireland, Northern-England)
Etymology
* Shortened form of any of various words beginning with sub-.
Meanings
-
(abbreviation, alt-of) Abbreviation of submarine.
alt of submarine
You know, we got Russian subs creepin' around; anythin' goes wrong they can say whatever they want happened! Give their folks medals!
1989, James Cameron, The Abyss (motion picture), spoken by Alan "Hippy" Carnes (Todd Graff):
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of submarine sandwich: a sandwich made on a long bun.
alt of submarine sandwich
We can get subs at that deli.
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of submersible.
alt of submersible
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of substitute, often in sports or teaching.
alt of often in sports or teachingalt of substitute
With the score 4 to 1, they brought in subs.
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.
1930, Boy's Live, Philip Scruggs, There Can Be Victory, page 20:She worked as a sub until she got her teaching certificate.
-
(UK, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, often, plural) Clipping of subscription (“a payment made for membership of a club, etc.”).
alt of subscription
According to the best available information, GALAXY has several times as many subs as any other science fiction magazine!
1951, H. L. Gold, “Annual Report”, in Galaxy Science Fiction, volume 2, number 6, page 2:My friend Keith got me a sub to your paper for my Christmas present.
1985 February 2, 18, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 28, page 18:
-
(Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of subtitle
alt of subtitle
I've just noticed a mistake in the subs for this film.
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of subroutine (sometimes one that does not return a value, as distinguished from a function, which does)
alt of subroutine
The default accessor can be overridden by declaring a sub of the same name in the package.
2002, Nathan Patwardhan, Ellen Siever, Stephen Spainhour, Perl in a nutshell: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 […]
2004, P. K. McBride, Introductory Visual Basic.NET, page 49:
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of subeditor
alt of subeditor
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of subcontractor
alt of subcontractor
Evoking the train of power that enables effective government, [historian Ramsay MacMullen] wrote: “At every point of connection the original intent must be transmitted as it was received. Otherwise it will come to nothing.” Control and accountability are the bedrock. Control: Who makes the decisions and who decides whether they will be executed—and for whose benefit? Accountability: Who determines whether something has gone wrong, and who determines whether the problem is fixed? In a privatized world, government becomes “diffuse, unstable, unpredictable,” and the skein of responsibility more and more attenuated. Contractors hire subcontractors, who hire subcontractors of their own. “I can’t tell you about the sub to the sub to the sub,” a NATO official told The New York Times in 2010 when asked about convoy guards in Afghanistan who turned out to be in league with the Taliban. Throughout much of our spun-off government today, “the sub to the sub to the sub” is almost a job description.
2025 June 3, Cullen Murphy, “Feudalism Is Our Future: What the next Dark Ages could look like”, in The Atlantic:
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slang) Clipping of subwoofer
alt of subwoofer
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of submission (of a work for publication).
alt of submission
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal) Clipping of submissive
alt of submissive
We're not that kind of sub!
2012, “Karai's Vendetta”, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:"It means that I'm both a sub and a dom." "Submissive and dominant," I said. He nodded.
2007, Laurell K Hamilton, The Harlequin:Typically a dom and a sub have a more or less standard routine that they like to go through all the time.
2008, Lannie Rose, How to Change Your Sex:[…] roleplay where a sub or bottom takes care of a top's bodily and hygiene needs […]
2004, Paul Baker, Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari and Gay Slang:
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, dated) Clipping of subordinate
alt of subordinate
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial, dated) Clipping of subaltern
alt of subaltern
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.
1911, J. Milton Hayes, The Green Eye of the Yellow God:
-
(Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of subscription (or (by extension) a subscriber) to an online channel or feed.
alt of subscription
I'm totally stoked; just got 10 new subs after my last video.
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of subsistence money, part of a worker's wages paid before the work is finished.
alt of subsistence money
-
(Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of subreddit.
alt of subreddit
That sub had so much politics to the point that I unfollowed it entirely.
-
(Philippines, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, colloquial) Clipping of subject (“particular area of study”)
alt of subject
-
(Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping) Clipping of subliminal (“an audio or video recording intended to produce physical or psychological changes in the listener”)
alt of subliminal
spam writing affs and listening to subs >
2025 August 26, @raethesorceress, X (post), archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026:You dont need to listen to subs to shift
2025 January 31, throwawayaccount19op, “Lets make a Mega thread for all the things you *Don't* need to do to shift.”, in r/realityshifting (Reddit post), archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026:Btw subliminals are the shit. I've been listening to some subs for symmetry, beauty, etc., & someone I met for the first time asked me if I got a nose job bc my nose looked so straight & perfect.
2024 August 26, @femininaura, X (post), archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026:probably bcs u were suggesting that she makes evil subs that give reverse results when she doesnt she just left and went mia without giving ppl their subs whjch is still bad but
2025 June 3, femininne, “i tried telling yall about Aleya but yall didn't listen 💀”, in r/Subliminal (Reddit post), archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| subs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
soft sub · giftsub · fansub · subchaser · supersub · subbie · unsub · D-sub · subdrop · pizza sub sandwich · pizza sub · blood sub · minisub · sub bench · subspace · subber · sub sandwich · Italian sub sandwich · soft-sub · femsub · narcosub · dye-sub · party sub · semisub · subhunter · stone sub · antisub · sub tender · Italian sub · pub-sub · sub clover · malesub · subathon
Hypernyms
Synonyms
CC · see submarine sandwich · S
Translations (22)
fi suklari (submarine — see also submarine) · vo dismelanaf (submarine — see also submarine) · de (nuke) Atom-U-Boot (submarine — see also submarine) · cs ponorka (submarine — see also submarine) · cmn 潛艇 /潜艇 (submarine — see also submarine) · fi subi (slang: subscription) · it sottomarino (submarine — see also submarine) · fi subi (submissive in BDSM) · fi subi (subscriber to an online channel or feed) · fi tilaaja (subscriber to an online channel or feed) · fi varamies (substitute) · es ictíneo (submarine — see also submarine) · fi sukellusvene (submarine — see also submarine) · fi subi (subtitle — see also subtitle) · vo daivanaf (submarine — see also submarine) · fi subi (subscription to an online channel or feed) · fi tekstitys (subtitle — see also subtitle) · es submarino (submarine — see also submarine) · fi kotti (informal: subsistence money) · es sumergible (submarine — see also submarine) · de U-Boot (submarine — see also submarine) · es batiscafo (submarine — see also submarine)