Definitions for substitute

Overview of noun substitute

The noun substitute has 3 senses? (first 1 from tagged texts)

1. (9) substitute, replacement

(a person or thing that takes or can take the place of another)

2. substitute, reserve, second-stringer

(an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced)

3. stand-in, substitute, relief, reliever, backup, backup man, fill-in

(someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins")

Overview of verb substitute

The verb substitute has 3 senses? (first 2 from tagged texts)

1. (13) substitute, replace, interchange, exchange

(put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items; "the con artist replaced the original with a fake Rembrandt"; "substitute regular milk with fat-free milk"; "synonyms can be interchanged without a changing the context's meaning")

2. (5) substitute, sub, stand in, fill in

(be a substitute; "The young teacher had to substitute for the sick colleague"; "The skim milk substitutes for cream

3. substitute, deputize, deputise, step in

(act as a substitute; "She stood in for the soprano who suffered from a cold")

Overview of adj substitute

The adj substitute has 3 senses? (no senses from tagged texts)

1. utility, substitute

(capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team; "a utility infielder")

2. alternate, alternative, substitute

(serving or used in place of another; "an alternative plan")

3. ersatz, substitute

(artificial and inferior; "ersatz coffee"; "substitute coffee")