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suburbs
having only small amounts of money or food: They subsisted on bread and water/on £25 a week.
sub·sis·tence /səb'sɪstəns/ n [U] 1 the ability to live, especially with little money or food: Subsistence is not possible in such conditions. 2 living with the smallest amount (of food or money) necessary: a subsistence allowance | subsistence farmers (=who produce just enough food to live on)
sub'sistence, crop n a crop grown for use by the grower rather than for sale → compare CASH CROP
sub'sistence, level n [S] a very poor standard of living, which only provides those things which are absolutely necessary and nothing more: Many of the poorer farmers live at subsistence level.
sub·soil /'sʌbˌsɔɪl/ n [U] the lower level of soil, with larger grains than those on the surface, but above the hard rock
sub·son·ic /ˌsʌb'snɪk || -'sɑː-/ adj below the speed of sound: subsonic flight | a subsonic airliner → compare SUPERSONIC
sub·stance /'sʌbstəns/ n 1 [C] a material; type of matter: a sticky substance | radioactive substances | manufacturers of diethylene glycol, a substance used in antifreeze for car engines | Heroin is an illegal substance. 2 [U] fml truth: There is no substance in the rumours that the princess is pregnant. | The rumours are completely without substance. 3 [(the)U(of)] fml the real meaning, without the unimportant details; ESSENCE: His speech meandered on for half an hour, but the substance of what he said was/what he said in substance was that too many people have too little money. 4 [U] fml importance, especially in relation to real life: Instead of endlessly debating points of procedure, why aren't we discussing matters of substance? | It was an amusing speech, but without much substance. (=without important or serious ideas etc) 5 [U] fml or lit wealth: a man of substance
sub·stan·dard /ˌsʌb'stændəd || -ərd/ adj not as good as the average; not of an acceptable sort: substandard work/materials → compare NONSTANDARD, STANDARD
sub·stan·tial /səb'stænʃəl/ adj 1 solid; strongly made: a substantial mahogany desk 2 large enough to be satisfactory: a substantial meal/salary 3 large enough to be noticeable or to have an important effect: They made substantial changes to the arrangements. 4 [A] concerning the important part or meaning: Though they disagreed on details, they were in substantial agreement over the plan. 5 fml wealthy: a very substantial family in the wool trade
sub·stan·tial·ly /səb'stænʃəli/ adv 1 mainly; in the important part: There are one or two minor differences, but they're substantially the same. 2 quite a lot: Your contribution helped us substantially.
sub·stan·ti·ate /səb'stænʃieɪt/ v [T] fml to prove the truth of (something said, claimed etc): Can you substantiate your claim in a court of law? —ation /səbˌstæni'eɪʃən/ n [U] evidence produced in substantiation of her allegations
sub·stan·tive¹ /'sʌbstəntɪv/ n tech a noun —tival /ˌsʌbstən'taɪvəl/ adj
sub·stan·tive² /səb'stæntɪv, 'sʌbstəntɪv/ adj fml or tech 1 having reality, actuality, or importance; firm: substantive discussions (=in which subjects of importance are discussed and progress is made) | It was a lengthy speech but he made few substantive points. 2 (in grammar) expressing existence: The substantive verb is 'to be'. 3 [A] real and continuing, rather than lasting for only a limited time: the substantive rank of colonel —ly adv
sub·sta·tion /'sʌbˌsteɪʃən/ n a place where electricity is passed on from a generating (GENERATE) station into the general system
sub·sti·tute¹ /'sʌbstɪtjut || -tuːt/ n [(for)] a person or thing acting or used in place of another: The leading singer couldn't appear, and her substitute clearly didn't know the role very well. | The recipe calls for butter, but you can use margarine as a substitute. | England brought on their substitute (player) when one of their players got injured. | This is the only genuine sort; accept no substitutes. | There's no substitute for sensible eating and exercise (=they are the best things) if you want to keep fit. | a substitute teacher | sugar or a sugar substitute, such as saccharin
substitute² v [(for)] 1 [T] to put (something or someone) in place of another: We substituted red balls for blue, to see if the baby would notice. | Those on slimming diets should substitute the sugar with saccharin/substitute saccharin for the sugar. 2 [I] to act as a substitute; be used instead: He substituted for the worker who was ill. → see REPLACE (USAGE) —tution /ˌsʌbstɪ'tjuːʃən || -'tuː-/ n [C;U (for)] The England manager made two substitutions in the second half. | The substitution of wine for water would improve the taste of the stew.
sub·stra·tum /'sʌbˌstrɑːtəm || -ˌstreɪ-/ n pl. -ta /-tə/ a level (STRATUM) lying beneath another, especially in the Earth: a substratum of rock | (fig.) a substratum (=hidden quality) of truth in the argument
sub·struc·ture /'sʌbˌstrʌktʃər/ n a solid base underground which supports something above ground
sub·sume /səb'sjuːm || -'suːm/ v [T(under)] fml to include as a member of a group or type: For purposes of the survey, typists are subsumed under office workers.
sub·ten·ant /ˌsʌb'tenənt/ n a person to whom a place is SUBLET by the TENANT; person who pays rent to the original renter
sub·tend /səb'tend/ v [T] tech (in GEOMETRY) to have (the stated angle or ARC) opposite to it: This side of the triangle subtends an angle of 30 degrees.
sub·ter·fuge /'sʌbtəfjuːdʒ || -ər-/ n [C;U] fml (deceit by) a secret trick or slightly dishonest way of doing something: We had to resort to a little harmless subterfuge to organize her birthday treat without her finding out about it.
sub·ter·ra·ne·an /ˌsʌbtə'reɪniən/ adj beneath the surface of the Earth; underground: subterranean rivers
sub·ti·tle /'sʌbˌtaɪtl/ n a less important title printed beneath the main title of a book
sub·ti·tled /'sʌbˌtaɪtld/ adj having subtitles or the stated subtitle: He wrote 'My Years on the Bench', subtitled 'Autobiography of a Judge'.
sub·ti·tles /'sʌbˌtaɪtlz/ n [P] words printed over a film in a foreign language to translate what is being said: a French film with English subtitles
sub·tle /'sʌtl/ adj 1 delicate; not easy to notice, understand, or explain: a subtle taste | subtle differences in meaning | His attempt to offer us a bribe was not exactly subtle. (=he did not hide his intentions well) 2 clever in arrangement, especially so as to deceive people: a subtle plan 3 very clever in noticing and understanding: a subtle mind —tly adv: subtly different
sub·tle·ty /'sʌlti/ n 1 [U] the quality of being subtle: He argued his case with considerable subtlety. 2 [C often pl.] a subtle idea, thought, or detail: I think the translator missed some of the subtleties of the original.
sub·to·tal /'sʌbˌtəʊtl/ n the total of a single set of figures, especially on a bill, which will be added to others to form a whole total
sub·tract /səb'trækt/ v [T(from)] to take (a number, amount etc) from something larger: If you subtract 10 from 30 you get 20. → compare ADD, DEDUCT
sub·trac·tion /səb'trækʃən/ n [U] the act of subtracting or state of being subtracted → compare ADDITION
sub·trop·i·cal /ˌsʌb'trɒpɪkəl || -'trɑː-/ also semitropical adj of or suited to an area near the tropics: a subtropical climate | subtropical vegetation
sub·urb /'sʌbɜːb || -3ːrb/ n [(of)] an outer area of a town or city, where people live: Blackheath is a suburb of London. → see also SUBURBS
sub·ur·ban /sə'bɜːbən || -3ːr-/ adj often derog of, for, or in the suburbs, especially as considered dull or unimaginative: a suburban railway | suburban streets with houses all the same | suburban life | suburban attitudes
sub·ur·ban·ite /sə'bɜːbənaɪt || -3ːr-/ n infml, often derog a person who lives in the suburbs
sub·ur·bi·a /sə'bɜːbiə || -3ːr-/ n [U] often derog (the behaviour, opinions, and ways of living typical of people who live in) the suburbs
sub·urbs /'sʌbɜːbz || -3ːr-/ also burbs AmE infml — n [the P] the area on the edge of a city, where most people live, as opposed to the shopping and business centre.