submarine (adj.)

1640s, from sub- + marine (adj.).

submarine (n.)

"submarine boat," 1899, from submarine (adj.), perhaps short for earlier submarine vessel (1732), etc. Earlier "a creature living under the sea" (1703). The short form sub is attested from 1917. As a type of sandwich from 1955, so called from the shape of the roll. Related: Submariner.

Entries linking to submarine

sub-

word-forming element meaning "under, beneath; behind; from under; resulting from further division," from Latin preposition sub "under, below, beneath, at the foot of," also "close to, up to, towards;" of time, "within, during;" figuratively "subject to, in the power of;" also "a little, somewhat" (as in sub-horridus "somewhat rough"), from PIE *(s)up- (perhaps representing *ex-upo-), a variant form of the root *upo "under," also "up from under." The Latin word also was used as a prefix and in various combinations.

In Latin assimilated to following -c-, -f-, -g-, -p-, and often -r- and -m-. In Old French the prefix appears in the full Latin form only "in learned adoptions of old Latin compounds" [OED], and in popular use it was represented by sous-, sou-; as in French souvenir from Latin subvenire, souscrire (Old French souzescrire) from subscribere, etc.

The original meaning is now obscured in many words from Latin (suggest, suspect, subject, etc.). The prefix is active in Modern English, sometimes meaning "subordinate" (as in subcontractor); "inferior" (17c., as in subhuman); "smaller" (18c.); "a part or division of" (c. 1800, as in subcontinent).

marine (adj.)

mid-15c., "found in or pertaining to the sea," from Old French marin "of the sea, maritime," and directly from Latin marinus "of the sea," from mare "sea, the sea, seawater," from PIE root *mori- "body of water." The Old English word was sælic.

sub

hero

*mori-

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Definitions of submarine

submarine (v.)

move forward or under in a sliding motion;

The child was injured when he submarined under the safety belt of the car

submarine (v.)

throw with an underhand motion;

submarine (v.)

bring down with a blow to the legs;

submarine (v.)

control a submarine;

submarine (v.)

attack by submarine;

The Germans submarined the Allies

submarine (n.)

a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes;

Synonyms: pigboat / sub / U-boat

submarine (n.)

a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States;

Synonyms: bomber / grinder / hero / hero sandwich / hoagie / hoagy / Cuban sandwich / Italian sandwich / poor boy / sub / submarine sandwich / torpedo / wedge / zep

submarine (adj.)

beneath the surface of the sea;

Synonyms: undersea

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near submarine

sublimity

sublingual

sublunary

subluxation

sub-machine-gun

submarine

submerge

submerse

submersible

submersion

submission