succedaneum

American  

[suhk-si-dey-nee-uhm] / ˌsʌk sɪˈdeɪ ni əm /

noun

plural

succedanea

1. a substitute.

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succedaneum British  

/ ˌsʌksɪˈdeɪnɪəm /

noun

1. obsolete something that is used as a substitute, esp any medical drug or agent that may be taken or prescribed in place of another

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Other Word Forms

• succedaneous adjective

Etymology

Origin of succedaneum

First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin succēdāneum, noun use of neuter singular of Latin succēdāneus “substituted,” equivalent to suc- suc- + cēd(ere) “to come, go” ( cede ) + -āneus composite adjective suffix, equivalent to -ān(us) -an + -eus -eous

Example Sentences

Learning the meanings of the words they will be asked to spell—vivisepulture, succedaneum, pococurante, cymotrichous, guetapens—won’t make these children any smarter, more driven, or more appreciative of language and education than they already are.

From Slate • May 28, 2015

Learning the meanings of the words they will be asked to spell—vivisepulture, succedaneum, pococurante, cymotrichous, guetapens—won’t make these children any smarter, more driven, and more appreciative of language and education than they already are.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2013

Conley, who finished second in last year's bee, went head-to-head with Kristin Hawkins for five rounds before knocking her off with succedaneum, which means "one who succeeds to the place of another."

From Time Magazine Archive

Caput succedaneum, the deep bruising of the scalp layer immediately next to the bony skull?

From Time Magazine Archive

Near at hand, the mere good feeling of neighbors, the companionable sentiment of cities and clans, proves a valuable succedaneum for that deeper principle which is good for all places and times.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 12, October, 1858 by Various

Related Words

• backup
• replacement
• stand-in
• surrogate