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stead
[sted]
,–noun
| 1. | the place of a person or thing as occupied by a successor or substitute: The nephew of the queen came in her stead. |
| 2. | Obsolete. a place or locality. |
–verb (used with object)
—Idiom| 3. | to be of service, advantage, or avail to. |
| 4. | stand in good stead, to be useful to, esp. in a critical situation: Your experience will stand you in good stead. |
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME, OE stede; c. G Stätte place; akin to G Stadt, ON stathr, Goth staths, Gk stásis (see stasis ); (v.) ME steden, deriv. of the n.
bef. 900; (n.) ME, OE stede; c. G Stätte place; akin to G Stadt, ON stathr, Goth staths, Gk stásis (see stasis ); (v.) ME steden, deriv. of the n.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Stead
Stead\, n. [OE. stede place, AS. stede; akin to LG. & D. stede, OS. stad, stedi, OHG. stat, G. statt, st["a]tte, Icel. sta[eth]r, Dan. sted, Sw. stad, Goth. sta?s, and E. stand. [root]163. See Stand, and cf. Staith, Stithy.]1. Place, or spot, in general. [Obs., except in composition.] --Chaucer. Fly, therefore, fly this fearful stead anon. --Spenser. 2. Place or room which another had, has, or might have. "Stewards of your steads." --Piers Plowman. In stead of bounds, he a pillar set. --Chaucer. 3. A frame on which a bed is laid; a bedstead. [R.] The genial bed, Sallow the feet, the borders, and the stead. --Dryden. 4. A farmhouse and offices. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Note: The word is now commonly used as the last part of a compound; as, farmstead, homestead, readstead, etc. In stead of, in place of. See Instead. To stand in stead, or To do stead, to be of use or great advantage. The smallest act . . . shall stand us in great stead. --Atterbury. Here thy sword can do thee little stead. --Milton.Stead
Stead\, v. t. 1. To help; to support; to benefit; to assist. Perhaps my succour or advisement meet, Mote stead you much your purpose to subdue. --Spenser. It nothing steads us To chide him from our eaves. --Shak. 2. To fill place of. [Obs.] --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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stead
O.E. stede "place, position, standing, delay," related to standan "to stand," from P.Gmc. *stadiz (cf. O.S. stedi, O.N. staðr, Swed. stad, Du. stede "place," O.H.G. stat, Ger. Stadt "town," Goth. staþs "place"), from PIE *stetis-, from base *ste-/*sta- "to stand" (see stet). Now chiefly in compounds or phrases. Steadfast is from O.E. stedefæst "secure in position," from stede + fæst "firmly fixed" (see fast).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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stead
see in someone's shoes (stead); stand in good stead. Also see under instead.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.

