31 results for: Sub-

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sub-

a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin (subject; subtract; subvert; subsidy); on this model, freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath” (subalpine; substratum), “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly” (subcolumnar; subtropical), “secondary,” “subordinate” (subcommittee; subplot).

Chemistry.

a.	a prefix indicating a basic compound: subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.

b.	a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state: subchloride; suboxide.

Also, su-, suc-, suf-, sug-, sum-, sup-, sur-, sus-.

[Origin: < L, comb. form repr. sub (prep.); akin to Gk hypó; see hypo-

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Sub-

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

sub-
pref.

Below; under; beneath: subsoil.
1. Subordinate; secondary: subplot.
2. Subdivision: subregion.
Less than completely or normally; nearly; almost: subhuman.

[Middle English, from Latin, from sub, under; see upo in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sub-

prefix of L. origin meaning "under," from L. preposition sub "under" (also "close to, up to, towards"), from PIE base *upo- "from below," hence "turning upward, upward, up, over, beyond" (cf. Skt. upa "near, under, up to, on," Gk. hypo "under," Goth. iup, O.N., O.E. upp "up, upward," Hittite up-zi "rises"). Used as a prefix and in various combinations. The original meaning is now obscured in many words from Latin (suggest, suspect, subject, etc.); the prefix is active in Mod. Eng., however, sometimes meaning "subordinate" (as in subcontinent, first recorded 1863) or "inferior" (a sense first attested 1963). Many such words are transparent (e.g. subcommittee, 1610) and etymologies of their root words may be found under those headings. As a word of its own, sub is first recorded 1830, as a shortened form of substitute (originally of printer's substitutes). The verb in this sense is from 1853.

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

sub-
A prefix that means "underneath or lower" (as in subsoil), "a subordinate or secondary part of something else" (as in subphylum.), or "less than completely" (as in subtropical.)

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

sub-
pref.

Below; under; beneath: subcutaneous.
Subordinate; secondary: subinfection.
Subdivision: subkingdom.
Less than completely or normally; nearly; almost: subfertility.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: sub-
Function: prefix
1 : under : beneath : below <substandard>
2 a : subordinate : secondary : next lower than or inferior to <subagent> b : subordinate portion of : subdivision of <subchapter> <subcommittee> c : assigning to another by the same method <sublicense> <subcontract>

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sub-

Hy"po-\ [Gr. ? under, beneath; akin to L. sub. See Sub-.]

1. A prefix signifying a less quantity, or a low state or degree, of that denoted by the word with which it is joined, or position under or beneath.

2. (Chem.) A prefix denoting that the element to the name of which it is prefixed enters with a low valence, or in a low state of oxidization, usually the lowest, into the compounds indicated; as, hyposulphurous acid.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sub-

Sub-\ [L. sub under, below; akin to Gr. ?, Skr. upa to, on, under, over. Cf. Hypo-, Super-.]

1. A prefix signifying under, below, beneath, and hence often, in an inferior position or degree, in an imperfect or partial state, as in subscribe, substruct, subserve, subject, subordinate, subacid, subastringent, subgranular, suborn. Sub- in Latin compounds often becomes sum- before m, sur before r, and regularly becomes suc-, suf-, sug-, and sup- before c, f, g, and p respectively. Before c, p, and t it sometimes takes form sus- (by the dropping of b from a collateral form, subs-).

2. (Chem.) A prefix denoting that the ingredient (of a compound) signified by the term to which it is prefixed,is present in only a small proportion, or less than the normal amount; as, subsulphide, suboxide, etc. Prefixed to the name of a salt it is equivalent to basic; as, subacetate or basic acetate. [Obsoles.]

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sub-

Sub*ac"id\, a. [L. subacidus. See Sub-, Acid.] Moderately acid or sour; as, some plants have subacid juices. -- n. A substance moderately acid.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sub-

Sub*brach`i*a"les\, n. pl. [NL. See Sub-, and Brachial.] (Zo["o]l.) A division of soft-finned fishes in which the ventral fins are situated beneath the pectorial fins, or nearly so.

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Sub-

Sub*fus"cous\, a. [L. subfuscus, suffuscus. See Sub-, and Fuscous.] Duskish; moderately dark; brownish; tawny.

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Sub-

Sub*hu"mer*ate\, v. t. [See Sub-, Humerus.] To place the shoulders under; to bear. [Obs.]

Nothing surer ties a friend than freely to subhumerate the burden which was his. --Feltham.

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Sub-

Sub`i*ma"go\, n. [NL. See Sub-, and Imago.] (Zo["o]l.) A stage in the development of certain insects, such as the May flies, intermediate between the pupa and imago. In this stage, the insect is able to fly, but subsequently sheds a skin before becoming mature. Called also pseudimago.

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Sub-

Sub*join"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Subjoined; p. pr. & vb. n. Subjoining.] [Cf. OF. subjoindre, L. subjungere. See Sub-, and Join, and cf. Subjective.] To add after something else has been said or written; to ANNEX; as, to subjoin an argument or reason.

Syn: To add; annex; join; unite.

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Sub-

Sub*men"tum\, n.; pl. Submenta. [NL. See Sub-, and Mentum.] (Zo["o]l.) The basal part of the labium of insects. It bears the mentum.

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Sub-

Sub*min"is*ter\, v. t. [L. subministrare, subministratum. See Sub-, and Ministre, v. t.] To supply; to afford. [Obs.] --Sir M. Hale.

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Sub-

Sub`o*per"cu*lum\, n. [NL. See Sub-, Operculum.] (Anat.) The lower opercular bone in fishes.

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Sub-

Suf-\ A form of the prefix Sub-.

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Sub-

Suf*fu"mi*gate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suffumigated; p. pr. & vb. n. Suffumigating.] [L. suffumigatus, p. p. of suffumigare to fumigate from below. See Sub-, and Fumigate.] To apply fumes or smoke to the parts of, as to the body in medicine; to fumigate in part.

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Sub-

Sum\, n. [OE. summe, somme, OF. sume, some, F. somme, L. summa, fr. summus highest, a superlative from sub under. See Sub-, and cf. Supreme.]

1. The aggregate of two or more numbers, magnitudes, quantities, or particulars; the amount or whole of any number of individuals or particulars added together; as, the sum of 5 and 7 is 12.

Take ye the sum of all the congregation. --Num. i. 2.

Note: Sum is now commonly applied to an aggregate of numbers, and number to an aggregate of persons or things.

2. A quantity of money or currency; any amount, indefinitely; as, a sum of money; a small sum, or a large sum. "The sum of forty pound." --Chaucer.

With a great sum obtained I this freedom. --Acts xxii. 28.

3. The principal points or thoughts when viewed together; the amount; the substance; compendium; as, this is the sum of all the evidence in the case; this is the sum and substance of his objections.

4. Height; completion; utmost degree.

Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought My story to the sum of earthly bliss. --Milton.

5. (Arith.) A problem to be solved, or an example to be wrought out. --Macaulay.

A sum in arithmetic wherein a flaw discovered at a particular point is ipso facto fatal to the whole. --Gladstone.

A large sheet of paper . . . covered with long sums. --Dickens.

Algebraic sum, as distinguished from arithmetical sum, the aggregate of two or more numbers or quantities taken with regard to their signs, as + or -, according to the rules of addition in algebra; thus, the algebraic sum of -2, 8, and -1 is 5.

In sum, in short; in brief. [Obs.] "In sum, the gospel . . . prescribes every virtue to our conduct, and forbids every sin." --Rogers.

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Sub-

Su"per-\ [L. super over, above; akin to Gr. ?, L. sub under, and E. over. See Over, and cf. Hyper-, Sub-, Supra-, Sur-.]

1. A prefix signifying above, over, beyond, and hence often denoting in a superior position, in excess, over and above, in addition, exceedingly; as in superimpose, supersede, supernatural, superabundance.

2. (Chem.) A prefix formerly much used to denote that the ingredient to the name of which it was prefixed was present in a large, or unusually large, proportion as compared with the other ingredients; as in calcium superphosphate. It has been superseded by per-, bi-, di-, acid, etc. (as peroxide, bicarbonate, disulphide, and acid sulphate), which retain the old meanings of super-, but with sharper definition. Cf. Acid, a., Bi-, Di-, and Per-.

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Sub-

Su*pine"\, a. [L. supinus, akin to sub under, super above. Cf. Sub-, Super-.]

1. Lying on the back, or with the face upward; -- opposed to prone.

2. Leaning backward, or inclining with exposure to the sun; sloping; inclined.

If the vine On rising ground be placed, or hills supine. --Dryden.

3. Negligent; heedless; indolent; listless.

He became pusillanimous and supine, and openly exposed to any temptation. --Woodward.

Syn: Negligent; heedless; indolent; thoughtless; inattentive; listless; careless; drowsy. -- Su*pine"ly, adv. -- Su*pine"ness, n.

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Sub-

Sup`po*si"tion\, n. [F. supposition, L. suppositio a placing under, a substitution, fr. supponere, suppositium, to put under, to substitute. The word has the meaning corresponding to suppose. See Sub-, and Position.]

1. The act of supposing, laying down, imagining, or considering as true or existing, what is known not to be true, or what is not proved.

2. That which is supposed; hypothesis; conjecture; surmise; opinion or belief without sufficient evidence.

This is only an infallibility upon supposition that if a thing be true, it is imposible to be false. --Tillotson.

He means are in supposition. --Shak.

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Sub-

Sup*press"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suppressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Suppressing.] [L. suppressus, p. p. of supprimere to suppress; sub under + premere, pressum, to press. See Sub-, and Press.]

1. To overpower and crush; to subdue; to put down; to quell.

Every rebellion, when it is suppressed, doth make the subject weaker, and the prince stronger. --Sir J. Davies.

2. To keep in; to restrain from utterance or vent; as, to suppress the voice; to suppress a smile. --Sir W. Scott.

3. To retain without disclosure; to conceal; not to reveal; to prevent publication of; as, to suppress evidence; to suppress a pamphlet; to suppress the truth.

She suppresses the name, and this keeps him in a pleasing suspense. --Broome.

4. To stop; to restrain; to arrest the discharges of; as, to suppress a diarrhea, or a hemorrhage.

Syn: To repress; restrain; put down; overthrow; overpower; overwhelm; conceal; stifle; stop; smother.

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Sub-

Sur`rep*ti"tious\, a. [L. surreptitius, or subreptitius, fr. surripere, subripere, to snatch away, to withdraw privily; sub- under + rapere to snatch. See Sub-, and Ravish.] Done or made by stealth, or without proper authority; made or introduced fraudulently; clandestine; stealthy; as, a surreptitious passage in an old manuscript; a surreptitious removal of goods. -- Sur`rep*ti"tious*ly, adv.

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Sub-

Sus*cep"ti*ble\, a. [F., from L. suscipere, susceptum, to take up, to support, undertake, recognize, admit; pref. sus (see Sub-) + capere to take. See Capable.]

1. Capable of admitting anything additional, or any change, affection, or influence; readily acted upon; as, a body susceptible of color or of alteration.

It sheds on souls susceptible of light, The glorious dawn of our eternal day. --Young.

2. Capable of impression; having nice sensibility; impressible; tender; sensitive; as, children are more susceptible than adults; a man of a susceptible heart.

Candidates are . . . not very susceptible of affronts. --Cowper.

I am constitutionally susceptible of noises. --Lamb. -- Sus*cep"ti*ble*ness, n. -- Sus*cep"ti*bly, adv.

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Sub-

Sus"ci*tate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suscitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Suscitating.] [L. suscitatus, p. p. of suscitare to lift up, to rouse; pref. sus- (see Sub-) + citare to rouse, excite. Cf. Excite, Incite.] To rouse; to excite; to call into life and action. [Obs.]

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Sub-

Sus*pend"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Suspended; p. pr. & vb. n. Suspending.] [F. suspendre, or OF. souspendre (where the prefix is L. subtus below, from sub under), L. suspendere, suspensum; pref. sus- (see Sub-) + pendere to hang. See Pedant, and cf. Suspense, n.]

1. To attach to something above; to hang; as, to suspend a ball by a thread; to suspend a needle by a loadstone.

2. To make to depend; as, God hath suspended the promise of eternal life on the condition of obedience and holiness of life. [Archaic] --Tillotson.

3. To cause to cease for a time; to hinder from proceeding; to interrupt; to delay; to stay.

Suspend your indignation against my brother. --Shak.

The guard nor fights nor fies; their fate so near At once suspends their courage and their fear. --Denham.

4. To hold in an undetermined or undecided state; as, to suspend one's judgment or opinion. --Locke.

5. To debar, or cause to withdraw temporarily, from any privilege, from the execution of an office, from the enjoyment of income, etc.; as, to suspend a student from college; to suspend a member of a club.

Good men should not be suspended from the exercise of their ministry and deprived of their livelihood for ceremonies which are on all hands acknowledged indifferent. --Bp. Sanderson.

6. To cause to cease for a time from operation or effect; as, to suspend the habeas corpus act; to suspend the rules of a legislative body.

7. (Chem.) To support in a liquid, as an insoluble powder, by stirring, to facilitate chemical action.

To suspend payment (Com.), to cease paying debts or obligations; to fail; -- said of a merchant, a bank, etc.

Syn: To hang; interrupt; delay; intermit; stay; hinder; debar.

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Sub-

Sus*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sustained; p. pr. & vb. n. Sustaining.] [OE. sustenen, susteinen, OF. sustenir, sostenir, F. soutenir (the French prefix is properly fr. L. subtus below, fr. sub under), L. sustinere; pref. sus- (see Sub-) + tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Sustenance.]

1. To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support; as, a foundation sustains the superstructure; a beast sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.

Every pillar the temple to sustain. --Chaucer.

2. Hence, to keep from sinking, as in despondence, or the like; to support.

No comfortable expectations of another life to sustain him under the evils in this world. --Tillotson.

3. To maintain; to keep alive; to support; to subsist; to nourish; as, provisions to sustain an army.

4. To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate. --Shak.

His sons, who seek the tyrant to sustain. --Dryden.

5. To endure without failing or yielding; to bear up under; as, to sustain defeat and disappointment.

6. To suffer; to bear; to undergo.

Shall Turnus, then, such endless toil sustain? --Dryden.

You shall sustain more new disgraces. --Shak.

7. To allow the prosecution of; to admit as valid; to sanction; to continue; not to dismiss or abate; as, the court sustained the action or suit.

8. To prove; to establish by evidence; to corroborate or confirm; to be conclusive of; as, to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition.

Syn: To support; uphold; subsist; assist; relieve; suffer; undergo.

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Sub-

Su"ze*rain\, n. [F., formed fr. sus above, L. susum, sursum (fr. sub under + versum, p. p. of vertere to turn), after the analogy of souverain, E. sovereign. See Sub-, and Verse.] A superior lord, to whom fealty is due; a feudal lord; a lord paramount.

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