Word for the Week: surrogate

surrogate

SYLLABICATION:
sur·ro·gate
NOUN:
1. One that takes the place of another; a substitute. 2a. A person or animal that functions as a substitute for another, as in a social or family role. b. A surrogate mother. 3. Psychology A figure of authority who takes the place of the father or mother in a person's unconscious or emotional life. 4. Law A judge in New York and some other states having jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the settlement of estates.
ADJECTIVE:
Substitute.
TRANSITIVE VERB:
Inflected forms: sur·ro·gat·ed, sur·ro·gat·ing, sur·ro·gates(-gt)1. To put in the place of another, especially as a successor; replace. 2. To appoint (another) as a replacement for oneself.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.