sandwich

sandwich — noun

1. A quick meal or snack that has a filling arranged inside bread so that bread cov

1.nounA1
Definition

A quick meal or snack that has a filling arranged inside bread so that bread covers it on the top and bottom — for example, meat and cheese between two slices of toast.

Example

Devika made a chicken sandwich for her lunch at the park.

The café near the station serves fresh sandwiches with a choice of bread.

Common collocations
  • chicken sandwich
  • cheese sandwich
  • tuna sandwich
  • sandwich shop
  • sandwich bar
  • make a sandwich
  • pack a sandwich
  • sandwich filling
Synonyms
  • sub

    a long roll-shaped sandwich filled with meat and cheese, common in American English

  • wrap

    a sandwich rolled inside a flatbread rather than placed between two bread slices

  • burger

    a ground meat patty served in a bun, similar in structure but with a different main ingredient

Common Mistakes

I ate a sandwich of bread for lunch.
I ate a chicken sandwich for lunch.
The filling (meat, cheese, etc.) is the identifying feature; the bread is always understood.

2. A sweet dessert where cream, jam, or fruit is placed between two flat, round sec

2.nounB1
Definition

A sweet dessert where cream, jam, or fruit is placed between two flat, round sections of sponge cake.

Example

For her birthday, Folake baked a cream sandwich with fresh strawberries on top.

British English: a sandwich = a layer cake with filling

The bakery near Christopher's school sells a popular jam sandwich that children love.

Common collocations
  • cream sandwich
  • jam sandwich
  • sponge sandwich
  • sandwich cake
  • chocolate sandwich
Synonyms
  • layer cake

    the standard American term for a cake with multiple layers and filling

  • sponge cake

    a light airy cake that forms the layers of a sandwich cake

Usage Note

Primarily British English. In American English, this dessert is usually called a 'layer cake' or 'sandwich cake' rather than simply 'a sandwich'.

Idioms

Sandwich

idiom

A historic market town in Kent, southeastern England, on the River Stour; the place that gave its name to the food through the title of the 4th Earl of Sandwich.

The Lin family spent the weekend exploring Sandwich, a historic town in Kent, England.

sandwich — verb

Word family

  • sandwiched
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe portable meals built around bread and filling, but they differ in bread type and construction. A 'sandwich' uses two separate slices of bread. A 'wrap' uses one piece of flatbread rolled around the filling. A 'burger' specifically involves a ground meat patty served in a round bun. A 'sub' (short for submarine sandwich) uses a long roll and typically contains cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables. For example, a lunch menu might offer 'a grilled chicken wrap with hummus,' 'a beef burger with fries,' and 'a turkey sub on a sesame roll' alongside 'a classic ham sandwich on whole wheat bread.'

sandwich ↗wrap ↗burger ↗sub ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • sandwich between
  • sandwich in

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish (place name)English (food name)English (verb use)

The word 'sandwich' traces back to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792), a British nobleman who supposedly asked for meat placed between slices of bread so he could eat while gambling without greasing his cards. The name of his title — taken from the town of Sandwich in Kent, England — thus became the name of the food. The verb meaning 'to squeeze between' emerged in the 1800s as speakers likened being tightly pressed between people or objects to the layered structure of the meal.