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prefix denoting
1. below; underlying. Examples: subcostal (below the ribs); sublingual (below the tongue); submandibular (below the mandible).
2. partial or slight.
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[L. sub under] 1. a prefix meaning under, near, almost, partial, moderately, or subordinate. 2. in chemistry, a prefix denoting a basic compound or a compound containing less of an element or radical than another compound of the same elements.Medical dictionary. 2011.