sub

plural subs

1. abbreviationAbbreviation 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)

2. abbreviationclippingClipping of submarine sandwich: a sandwich made on a long bun.

   We can get subs at that deli.

   Synonyms: see submarine sandwich

3. abbreviationclippingnauticalClipping of submersible.
4. abbreviationclippinginformalClipping of substitute, often in sports or teaching.

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

   2 more examples

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

   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

5. UKabbreviationclippinginformaloftenpluralClipping of subscription (“a payment made for membership of a club, etc.”).

   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

   1 more example

   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

6. InternetabbreviationclippinginformalClipping of subtitle.

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

   Synonyms: CC, S

7. abbreviationclippingcomputingClipping of subroutine (sometimes one that does not return a value, as distinguished from a function, which does)

   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

   1 more example

   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

8. abbreviationclippingcolloquialClipping of subeditor.
9. abbreviationclippingcolloquialClipping of subcontractor.

   1 more example

   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

10. abbreviationclippingslangClipping of subwoofer.
11. abbreviationclippingcolloquialmediaClipping of submission (of a work for publication).
12. abbreviationclippinginformalBDSMClipping of submissive.

    We're not that kind of sub!

    2012, “Karai's Vendetta”, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

    3 more examples

    […] 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

    "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

13. abbreviationclippingcolloquialdatedClipping of subordinate.
14. abbreviationclippingcolloquialdatedClipping 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

15. InternetabbreviationclippingcolloquialClipping of 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.

16. abbreviationclippingcolloquialClipping of subsistence money, part of a worker's wages paid before the work is finished.
17. InternetabbreviationclippingClipping of subreddit.

    That sub had so much politics to the point that I unfollowed it entirely.

18. PhilippinesabbreviationclippingcolloquialClipping of subject (“particular area of study”)
19. InternetabbreviationclippingClipping of subliminal (“an audio or video recording intended to produce physical or psychological changes in the listener”)

    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

    3 more examples

    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

    spam writing affs and listening to subs >

    2025 August 26, @raethesorceress, X (post), archived from the original on 01 Feb 2026

present singular third person subs · participle present subbing · participle past subbed · past subbed

1. USinformalTo substitute for.
2. USinformalTo work as a substitute teacher, especially in primary and secondary education.
3. UKinformalball gamesTo 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. UKinformaloftenuncommonball gamesTo bring on (a player) as a substitute.

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

5. UKTo perform the work of a subeditor or copy editor; to subedit.
6. InternetslangtransitiveTo subtitle (usually a film or television program).
7. UKslangtransitiveTo lend (a person) money.

   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.

   2011, Rowland Rivron, What the F*** Did I Do Last Night?

8. intransitiveslangTo subscribe.
9. BDSMTo take a submissive role.

   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.

   2012, Tiffany Reisz, Little Red Riding Crop

   1 more example

   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, Alicia White, Jessica's Breakdown, page 53

1. Under.

present singular third person subs · participle present subbing · participle past subbed · past subbed

1. To coat with a layer of adhering material; to planarize by means of such a coating.
2. microscopyTo prepare (a slide) with a layer of transparent substance to support and/or fix the sample.

   1 more example

   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.