Sandwich Definition: Pronunciation, Examples, and Exercises

You will talk about sandwiches in cafes, shops, and with friends. Read these phrases to know how to express different ideas:

When writing a description of “sandwich”, you won’t find many words that you can use instead of it; however, speaking of snacks, you have many options to choose from.

Related nouns: burger wrap panini snack

Synonyms (contextual): No, it’s specific

Common collocations: to order a sandwich a delicious sandwich a packed sandwich

Collocations with nouns include the types of sandwiches you can order. Adjectives allow you to describe the quality. Verbs help you describe actions, such as eating and preparing.

With adjectives: cold sandwich fresh sandwich homemade sandwich grilled sandwich

With verbs: to make a sandwich to eat a sandwich to buy a sandwich to share a sandwich

With nouns (noun + noun): ham sandwich tuna sandwich chicken sandwich egg sandwich

What does “sandwich” mean in idioms? Typically, it describes someone or something in the middle of a conflict or a situation, just like filling in a sandwich.

• The sandwich generation refers to people who need to care for both their parents and children.

  We are the sandwich generation. Our children and aging parents need us.

• A Dagwood sandwich is a snack with many layers of bread and various fillings.

  This weekend I am going to make a Dagwood sandwich. I will be a skyscraper in the world of quick meals.

• The meat in the sandwich describes a person who is between two sides of an argument.

  My boyfriend and best friend argue, and I’m the meat in the sandwich. They complain about each other all the time.

Having studied the “sandwich” description, pronunciation rules, collocations, and idioms, you can check how well you understand the usage of this word.

When appearing in other languages, this word retained its form and pronunciation.

Since you know how to define a “sandwich”, it is time to discover some interesting facts about it, from its origin to some records.

• In the USA, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are very popular.

  To prepare this sandwich, spread peanut butter on one piece of bread and jam or jelly on the other, then press them together. Children love them, and they have appeared in many films and shows.

• The Earl of Sandwich inspired others to create sandwiches.

  The fourth Earl of Sandwich was busy with his political career and gambling. He frequently asked his servants for a piece of meat between two slices of bread.

• The longest sandwich is 735 metres.

  According to the Guinness World Records, it took approximately 22 hours to make the longest sandwich. It happened in 2011, in Lebanon. The sandwich weighed almost 600 kg, and more than 100 people participated in its creation.

• The most expensive sandwich costs $214.

  Serendipity 3 in New York sells Quintessential Grilled Cheese sandwiches, offering champagne bread and gold flakes. It is not a mere snack, but a piece of art.

You can probably think: What can writers tell about sandwiches? And true artists are capable of coming up with fascinating lines that capture deep ideas, even when working with simple words like “sandwich.”

— Warren Zevon

Explanation: With this single phrase, this rock star, Warren Zevon, recommended that people need to enjoy the simplicity of life and value every eaten sandwich because life is short.

— Alain Bremond-Torrent, “running is flying intermittently”

Explanation: Typically, we eat sandwiches when we don’t want to cook dishes because it is a quick way to fill our stomachs. However, it highlights our impatience, as we prioritize speed over quality.

— James Beard

Explanation: Making sandwiches can also be a way to express your creativity, as it requires attention to detail to select the right ingredients and arrange them so they look and taste their best.