stead

 
Pronunciation: /stɛd/

noun

  • the place or role that someone or something should have or fill (used in referring to a substitute): you wish to have him superseded and to be appointed in his stead

Phrases

stand someone in good stead

be advantageous or useful to someone in the future: his early training stood him in good stead

Origin:

Old English stede 'place', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stad 'town', German Statt 'place', Stadt 'town', from an Indo-European root shared by the verb stand