Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Succeed?

\Suc*ceed"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Succeeded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Succeeding}.] [L. succedere, successum; sub under + cedere to go, to go along, approach, follow, succeed: cf. F. succ['e]der. See {Cede}, and cf. {Success}.] 1. To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the place of; as, the king's eldest son succeeds his father on the throne; autumn succeeds summer. As he saw him nigh succeed. --Spenser. 2. To fall heir to; to inherit. [Obs. & R.] --Shak. 3. To come after; to be subsequent or consequent to; to follow; to pursue. Destructive effects . . . succeeded the curse. --Sir T. Browne. 4. To support; to prosper; to promote. [R.] Succeed my wish and second my design. --Dryden.
\Suc*ceed"\, v. i. 1. To come in the place of another person, thing, or event; to come next in the usual, natural, or prescribed course of things; to follow; hence, to come next in the possession of anything; -- often with to. If the father left only daughters, they equally succeeded to him in copartnership. --Sir M. Hale. Enjoy till I return Short pleasures; for long woes are to succeed! --Milton. 2. Specifically: To ascend the throne after the removal the death of the occupant. No woman shall succeed in Salique land. --Shak. 3. To descend, as an estate or an heirloom, in the same family; to devolve. --Shak. 4. To obtain the object desired; to accomplish what is attempted or intended; to have a prosperous issue or termination; to be successful; as, he succeeded in his plans; his plans succeeded. It is almost impossible for poets to succeed without ambition. --Dryden. Spenser endeavored it in Shepherd's Kalendar; but neither will it succeed in English. --Dryden. 5. To go under cover. [A latinism. Obs.] Will you to the cooler cave succeed! --Dryden. Syn: To follow; pursue. See {Follow}.