sandwich

Etymology

Named after its supposed inventor, the Earl of Sandwich (see Sandwich).

noun

1. A dish or foodstuff where at least one piece, but typically two or more pieces, of bread serve(s) as the wrapper or container of some other food.
   He laid out a linen tablecloth and a few sandwichs from some bread, dressing, and beef. 2002, Serena Carrington, Avalon, Writers Club Press, page 92
   And the only "care" I could offer was egg sandwichs and Lilly's unfaltering attention. 2012, Allie McNeil, Watergate Summer, AuthorHouse, page 160
   The most famous place in Copenhagen, Ida Davidsen, has a menu of 190 different kinds of open sandwich. 2020-01-21, Brontë Aurell, The Little Book of Scandi Living, White Lion Publishing, page 51
2. (by extension) Any combination formed by layering one type of material between two layers of some other material.
3. (UK) A layer cake or sandwich cake.
   […] our local agricultural fair in Warwickshire even has a category for Victoria sandwiches baked by male bakers. 2016, Alysa Levene, Cake: A Slice of History
4. (archaic) A sandwichman (one who wears a sandwich board).
   We have, and not so very long ago, seen women employed as 'sandwiches'. Pall Mall Gazette, quoted in 2004, Chris Jenks, Urban Culture, page 129

verb

1. To place one item physically between two other, usually flat, items.
   An oddity of the auto-train services, incidentally, was the occasional "doubling", usually for football excursions, when the load was increased to four coaches with the engine sandwiched between. 1959 May, William Jones, John Hodge, “Resorts for Railfans - 28: Cardiff, Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 265
   But as the game looked destined for a stalemate at half-time, the hammer blow arrived. A corner was just about cleared, only for the Scots to switch off. Vladimir Coufal overlapped with space and time on his side, his delivery being met by Schick, who steered his header home while sandwiched between Liam Cooper and Grant Hanley. June 14 2021, Scott Mullen, “Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic”, in BBC Sport
   One can't escape the huge nuclear facility at Sellafield (supplier of much of the line's remaining freight traffic), or miss the wild shingle beaches with exposed and precarious bungalows sandwiched between the railway and the shore at Braystones. November 2 2022, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57
2. (figurative) To put or set something between two others, in time.
   Street BASIC is becoming the language taught in junior high; it is sandwiched between Logo, which is taught in elementary school, and Pascal, which is taught in high school. 1988, Cynthia Solomon, Computer Environments for Children, page 94
   Dirk Kuyt sandwiched a goal in between Carroll's double as City endured a night of total misery, with captain Carlos Tevez limping off early on with a hamstring strain that puts a serious question mark over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley. April 11, 2011, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport
3. (sex) To double penetrate
   They sandwiched her, the footballer at her back, his dick tucked into the perfect seam of her ass as he fingered her pussy while the shorter, leaner, covered-in-tattoos Monsieur Artiste kissed her and pinched her nipples 2017, Madhuri Pavamani, Juma
4. To feed sandwiches.
   The association of veteran firemen, which has a membership of 200, kept open house for New Year callers, and all comers were bountifully sandwiched and coffeed. 7 January 1897, “City’s Veteran Firemen. New Year Reception. The Rooms of the Association Filled with Guests. Reminiscences, Reunion, and Refreshments,”, in The Pittsfield Sun, volume 97, number 26, Pittsfield, Mass., page 7
   Here at Camp Wheeler we “coffeed” and “sandwiched” the drafted men when they came from Camp Gordon several weeks ago, and the men from Camp Pike more recently. 11 November 1917, Dumas Malone, “The Ring and the Red Triangle: How the Men Who Wear the New Insignia Go With the Army”, in The Macon Daily Telegraph, Macon, Ga., first section, article section “The Ever-Ready Hut”, page four
   There we were met by enterprising citizens and coffeed and sandwiched by pretty girls. 1929, Howard W[allace] Peak, A Ranger of Commerce or 52 Years on the Road, page 87
   Five soldiers had been sandwiched and coffeed at the Elks canteen, were a little short of money, needed haircuts. 31 August 1942, “Who Clipped the Soldiers’—Hair?”, in Harrisburg Telegraph, volume CXII, number 206, Harrisburg, Pa., second section, page 9
   I clothed desperate families, and sandwiched and teaed many distracted souls. 1953, [Irene Curzon, 2nd] Baroness Ravensdale, In Many Rhythms: An Autobiography, page 249
   I write this on the kitchen table at the home of the kind Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Ebert, who sandwiched and coffee’d me. 7 October 1959, Charles House, “Charlie Pauses at 75-Mile Mark To Recount Latest Adventures”, in Appleton Post-Crescent, volume LI, number 88, Appleton-Neenah-Menasha, Wis., section “Coffee Break”, page A16
   Mrs. Robert (Helen) Adickes, of Flintridge, mate of the chairman of the Pilots For Goldwater committee, was in there pitching as usual seeing that everyone was fed and coffeed or, in the case of the young colts and fillies, sandwiched and popped. 13 October 1964, Gene Cowles, Valley Times, volume 27, number 246, San Fernando Valley, Calif., page 15
   Hostesses like Laurie McCormack, who’s used to keeping politicians, press and businessmen coffeed and sandwiched on special visits to the train, sat back and let Jay Montague and other merchants reverse roles. 14 October 1975, Kathleen Merryman, “Freedom Train fires up parties”, in The Billings Gazette, 90th year, number 165, Billings, Mont., page 11-A
   “In the daytimes, he fixes things for people,” I said, “and in return they keep him sandwiched and coffeed.” 28 August 1976, Joan Flanagan, “cassidy’s mob”, in The Sydney Morning Herald, number 43,275, page 14
5. To eat sandwiches.
   Mr. and Mrs. Ted Craig (he speaker of the assembly) emerging from a popular drive-in after having sandwiched and coffeed . . . 29 June 1935, Ellen Snebley, “Teapot Tattle”, in Santa Ana Journal, volume 1, number 52, Santa Ana, Calif., page eight
   He coffeed and sandwiched along the highway. 1965, Thea Astley, The Slow Natives, page 196
   The Red Knight and his squire might be sandwiching at the very next table. 2006, Gary Zingher, “The Child as Everyday Explorer”, in Theme Play: Exciting Young Imaginations, Libraries Unlimited, page 95

adj

1. (US) Of a meal or serving size that is smaller than a dinner. (insufficient evidence for this use)