Understudy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈʌndɚstʌdi/

Definitions

1. A performer trained to take over a lead role if the main actor cannot perform
2. Someone who learns and practices a principal part to be prepared to substitute when needed
3. An actor who serves as a backup for a leading role, stepping in during the primary performer's absence

Etymology: The theatre gave this word its meaning, and the root of "study" explains the rest. "Understudy" is simply "under" plus "study": an actor who learns a role "under" the leading performer so he or she can step in if needed. "Under" comes down from Old English, where it already meant what it means today, and "study" traces through Middle English and Old French back to Latin "studium", meaning zeal, application or eagerness. The idea of close, dedicated effort is what links a scholar at a desk to an actor memorising lines in the wings. The word is a transparent compound, so its history is mostly a matter of combining two long-established parts. The connection to the stage is the decisive shift: "study" in the older sense meant the act of learning or committing something to memory, and an understudy is someone who has done exactly that with another person's part.

Synonyms: alternate, replacement, backup, stand-in, substitute

Antonyms: lead, star, principal, main actor, performer