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understudy

UK/ˈʌndəstʌdi/US/ˈʌndɚstʌdi/
nounB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #6,108 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: understudies

An understudy is an actor ready to take over a part at short notice. The understudy went on, act as understudy, an understudy rehearsal.

The job is learning a role that will mostly not be performed, which is a strange kind of work and occasionally a career-making one — several famous careers began with an understudy going on. Understudies rehearse separately and are contracted for it. Figuratively it means anybody being kept ready as a replacement. Note that the word is under plus study.

Definitions of understudy

  1. 1noununderstudyAn actor ready to take over a part at short notice.B2+

    “The star lost her voice, so her understudy played Juliet that night.”

understudy is a stand-in performer.

Where it comes from

  1. Proto-Indo-European

    *(s)tewd-

  2. Middle English

    studien

  3. English

    study

  4. English, today

    understudy

From under- + study. study comes from Middle English studien. Middle English studien, from Old French estudier (Modern étudier), from estudie, from Latin studium. cneordlæcan.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Dance

Practise this word

understudy in the wild

  • Should the regular actor or actress be unable to appear on stage, the understudy takes over the part.

    Understudy

  • Usually when the understudy takes over, the theater manager announces the cast change prior to the start of the performance.

    Understudy

  • An understudy is an actor learning a role in case the main actor is indisposed.

    Understudy (disambiguation)

  • Hansen played Margot, and Zakrin performed in the ensemble as well serving as understudy to Becky Gulsvig as Elle Woods.

    Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods

  • Pemberton plays actor Tony, who is starring as Macbeth in a West End production of Shakespeare's Macbeth, and Shearsmith plays Jim, Tony's understudy.

    The Understudy (Inside No. 9)

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

  • study