(in the theatre) a person who learns another’s role in order to be able to act at short notice in their absence:he has played as understudy to Celtic’s usual goalkeeperhe is understood to be understudy for the governor
verb (understudies, understudying, understudied)
[with object]
study (a role or actor) as an understudy:he had to understudy Prospero
understudy in other Oxford dictionaries
Definition of understudy in the US English dictionary
