subassemblyn.
/ˈsʌbəˌsɛmbli/, U.S. /ˈsəbəˌsɛmbli/ 1. A subdivision of an assembly; a secondary or subsidiary gathering of a legislative or deliberative body, council, etc.
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1681 R. Baxter Treat. Episcopacy i. iii. 17 The Converts multiplyed into more than could meet in one Assembly, and had allowance to Communicate in their sub-assemblies.
1841 Bradford Observer 26 Aug. They and their minions, and a sub-assembly in Jamaica, acting under their auspices.
1873 E. Farr National Hist. Eng. I. 111/2 During the Heptarchy, there were as many sub-assemblies as there were kingdoms.
1907 St. Andrew's Cross Mar. 15/1 The Secretaries of the different ‘sub-assemblies’ in Rhode Island, New Haven, and Essex County, gave a record of their efforts.
2006 J. Roland in P. Finkelman Encycl. Amer. Civil Liberties I. 457/2 A trial jury is a specialized form of subassembly within the larger court.
2. A unit assembled separately but designed to be incorporated, with other units, into a larger manufactured product. Also: the production of such units; the assembling of a component. Cf. assembly n. 1c.
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society > occupation and work > industry > manufacturing processes > [noun] > assembly > pre- or sub-assembly
subassembly1908
pre-assembly1944
1908 Horseless Age 29 Apr. 486/2 A drawer was reserved for each letter, and the details with the assembly and sub-assemblies were all kept together.
1924 W. J. Hiscox Factory Lay-out, Planning & Progress ii. 29 Sometimes the ‘sub-assembly’ merely covers the fitting of a pin to a certain part.
1941 Sun (Baltimore) 21 Feb. 30/5 The Omaha plant will be used to assemble bombers from sub-assemblies and parts supplied by the automotive and other non-aeronautical enterprises.
1973 J. G. Tweeddale Materials Technol. II. iv. 73 Such mechanically-wrought products can form the primary material for further mechanical manipulation..into fairly complex sub-assembly components.
2005 Earthmovers May 3/1 I have to confess that I had assumed that it was simply an assembly plant, with major sub-assemblies being imported from overseas.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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