n.
- Nautical. A vessel that is capable of operating submerged. Also called sub.
- A large sandwich consisting of a long roll split lengthwise and filled with layers of meat, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and condiments. Also called sub, ; also called regionally Cuban sandwich, grinder, Also called hero, hoagie, Also called Italian sandwich, poor boy, Also called torpedo, wedge, Also called zep.
Beneath the surface of the water; undersea.
v., -rined, -rin·ing, -rines. v.tr.
- To attack by submarine, especially with torpedoes.
- Sports. To knock down with a blow to the legs.
- Baseball. To pitch (a ball) with an underhand motion.
To slide, drive, or throw under something.
REGIONAL NOTE The long sandwich featuring layers of meat and cheese on a crusty Italian roll or French bread goes by a variety of names. These names are not distributed in a pattern similar to that of other regional words because their use depends on the business and marketing enterprise of the people who create the sandwiches and sell them. Submarine and sub are widespread terms, not assignable to any particular region. Many of the localized terms are clustered in the northeast United States, where the greatest numbers of Italian Americans live. In Maine, it is called an Italian sandwich, befitting its heritage. Elsewhere in New England and in Sacramento, California, it is often called a grinder. New York City knows it as a hero. In the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, the sandwich is called a hoagie. Speakers in Miami use the name Cuban sandwich. Along the Gulf Coast the same sandwich is often called a poor boy. In New Orleans, a poor boy is likely to be offered in a version featuring fried oysters.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
