Meaning & use
beef subgum
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable or uncountableregional
a Chinese-American stir-fried dish of beef with mixed vegetables, usually served with a thick sauce.
Grammar: Use it like other food names: some beef subgum (uncountable) or two beef subgums (countable, as orders).
Patterns
- beef subgum
- order beef subgum
- beef subgum with rice
I ordered beef subgum with fried rice from the takeaway.
The menu lists beef subgum, chicken subgum and shrimp subgum.
Beef subgum usually contains celery, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts.
Word forms
| plural | beef subgums |
|---|
Common combinations
- order beef subgum
- We always order beef subgum when we get Chinese takeaway.
- beef subgum with rice
- She had beef subgum with rice and a spring roll.
- a plate of beef subgum
- He finished a whole plate of beef subgum by himself.
- beef subgum and noodles
- The lunch special is beef subgum and noodles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chop suey
- A similar Chinese-American stir-fry, but it usually has a thinner sauce and different vegetables.
- stir-fry
- A general term for any quickly cooked dish of meat and vegetables, not a specific menu item.
Word family
- subgum noun
- The base dish name, used with different meats such as chicken or shrimp.
Commonly confused: beef subgum or chop suey?
beef subgum vs chop suey
Both are Chinese-American dishes, but chop suey is a broader name and does not always include beef.
Practice
What does 'beef subgum' usually mean on a menu?
Choose one answer.
'Beef subgum' is a Chinese-American stir-fry of beef with mixed vegetables, so option B is correct. The other options describe different dishes and do not match the word 'subgum'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beef subgum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.