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suc·ceed (sək-sēd)
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v. suc·ceed·ed, suc·ceed·ing, suc·ceeds
v.intr.
1.
a. To come next in time or order: She fell sick, and what succeeded was an outpouring of concern from her fans.
b. To replace another in office or position: The prince succeeded to the throne. See Synonyms at follow.
2. To accomplish something desired or intended: "Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne'er succeed" (Emily Dickinson).
3. Obsolete To pass to a person by way of inheritance.
v.tr.
1. To come after (something) in time or order; follow: Winter succeeds autumn.
2. To come after and take the place of: The heir succeeded the king.
[Middle English succeden, from Old French succeder, from Latin succēdere : sub-, near; see SUB- + cēdere, to go; see ked- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
suc·cedent (sək-sēdnt) adj.
suc·ceeder n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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