Sandwiches

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsænˌ(d)wɪ.d͡ʒɪz/

Definitions

1. A food item consisting of ingredients placed between slices of bread
2. A culinary creation where various fillings such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables are enclosed by bread, making it easy to hold and eat
3. A portable meal typically composed of a filling enclosed in or between two pieces of bread, often enjoyed for lunch or as a snack

Etymology: "Sandwiches" is the plural of "sandwich," so its history is that of the singular noun. The name honours John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, the eighteenth-century English nobleman who is traditionally credited with the invention. The story most often told is that he wanted to keep eating at the gaming table without pausing for a proper meal, so he asked for slices of meat tucked between bread. The tale is popular, but it rests on the reputation of a busy aristocrat rather than on a documented record of his own words. The Earl's title gave the food its name. Sandwich is a town in Kent, and the earldom took its name from that place, so the noun is a place-name turned into a word for a snack. Before this, English already had "sandwich" as a term for a sandwich-like arrangement, but the modern meaning of two slices of bread enclosing a filling is the one tied to the Earl. The plural simply follows the usual English pattern for a noun ending in "ch."

Synonyms: subs, hoagies, bocadillos