Succeed

v. Forms: 4 Sc. succed, 4–6 succede, 6–7 succeede (4, 6 Sc. succeid, 6 -eyd, 8 suckseed), 6– succeed. [a. OF. succeder (from 14th c.) or ad. L. succēdĕre, to go under, go up, come close after, go near, f. suc- = SUB- III + cēdĕre to go. Cf. Pr. succedir, It. succedere, Sp. suceder, Pg. succeder.]

  1.  intr. To come next after and take the place of another, either by descent, election, or appointment, in a position of rule or ownership; to be the immediate successor in an office or in an estate.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 64. Than the neyst cummyn off the seid, Man or woman, suld succeid.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 576. Whan Walter is agon, Thanne shal the blood of Ianicle succede And been oure lord.

c. 1400.  Apol. Loll., 5. Bi þe slownes of þe pope, and of prelats succedand in his place, and bi her peruerse werkis, moost iuil comiþ to vs.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. iv. 108. You know by the ordur of our law, the eldyst brother succedyth.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 68. After him Vther, which Pendragon hight, Succeding There abruptly it did end.

1608.  Heywood, Lucrece, II. ii. Barren Princes Breed danger in their singularitie; Having none to succeed, their claime dies in them.

1891.  E. Peacock, N. Brendon, I. 59. When Sir Ralf died, Sir John succeeded.

  b.  Const. to (a person): = 2.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xii. (Mathias), 71. Gyf þu myn awne ware, & mycht as ayr succed to me.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 119. Þis ȝere deide he secounde Richard, þe fourþe duke of Normandie, to whom succedid his sone Richard þe þridde.

1456–7.  in Acts Parlt. Scotl. (1875), XII. 27/1. Eftyr the deceiss of this lard of Meldrum succedit tyll hyme ane othir lard.

1529.  Reg. Privy Seal Scotl., 585. The aire or airis maile or femaile … succedand to the said umquhile erle.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 280. Saracon … was appointed Sultan,… to whom Saladine his Nephew succeeded.

1831.  Scott, Nigel, Introd. A young heir, who has totally altered the establishment of the father to whom he has succeeded.

1874.  Markby, Elem. Law (ed. 2), § 564. Neither the heir nor the legatee has a right to claim any portion of the moveable estate;… they do not in any way succeed to the deceased.

1908.  R. Bagot, A. Cuthbert, vi. 52. It was his duty to marry again, and to have children to succeed to him.

  fig.  1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, xii. 22. Evirmair vnto this warldis joy As nerrest air succeidis noy.

  c.  To follow in office in order of seniority. rare.

1764.  Foote, Mayor of G., I. Wks. 1799, I. 166. We always succeeded of course; no jumping over heads.

  d.  Const. † (a) in, into, (b) to (an estate, a position of rule or ownership).

  (a)  c. 1386.  Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 1079. His sone succedeth in his heritage … after his fader day.

1482.  in Eng. Hist. Rev., XXV. 123. Alle oyere yat shalle succede in that office.

1520.  Caxton, Chron. Eng., I. 6 b/1. His sone Heleazarus succeded in y^e bysshopryche.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. xix. 53. If shee be brought to bed of a manchild, the same may by order and course succeed in the Empyre.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 41. Next them did Gurgunt, great Bellinus sonne In rule succeede.

1597.  Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 303/2. Rob. Scott … and Barbara Scott his spous … ar and hes bene maist kyndlie to succeid in the tak.

1643.  Baker, Chron. (1653), 60. Rodolph succeeded in the See of Canterbury.

1690.  Locke, Govt., I. ix. Wks. 1714, II. 135. David by the same title that Saul Reigned … succeeded in his Throne, to the exclusion of Jonathan.

  (b)  1563.  in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1709), xxxviii. 400. The advancement of the Scotch Title to succede to the English Crown.

a. 1578.  Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 194. Nor zit succeidand to na grett heretaige.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 88. Quhen the peychtis doubted quha suld succeid to the kingdome lawfullie.

1765.  Blackstone, Comm., I. iii. 199. Henry the eighth … succeeded to the crown by clear indisputable hereditary right.

1891.  Speaker, 2 May, 564/1. When he succeeded … to the family estates, he found them heavily encumbered.

1912.  Eng. Hist. Rev., XXVII. Jan., 44. There seems to be some ground for surmising that Henry wished him to succeed to Neville’s office.

  e.  transf. Const. to († into): To follow another in the enjoyment or exercise of; to be the next to share or take part in.

1612.  Brerewood, Lang. & Relig., 178. Mozal, as I said afore, is either Seleucia, or succeeded into the dignity of it.

1670.  Dryden, Conq. Granada, II. III. i. Take breath; my guards shall to the fight succeed. Ibid. (1693), Disc. Satire, Ess. 1900, II. 22. Some witty men may perhaps succeed to their designs.

1782.  Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., I. IV. 363. The christian saints succeeded … to the honours.

1866.  R. W. Dale, Disc. Spec. Occ., v. 156. We have succeeded to the honours and responsibilities of our predecessors.

  2.  trans. To take the place of, as successor in an office or heir to an estate; to follow (another) in ownership or the occupation of a position or office; to be successor or heir to.

1503–4.  Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 25 § 2. They that soo shall succede them … in the seid Sees & Bisshopprikkes.

1513.  More, Life Rich. III., Wks. 70/2. So was I to king Edward faithfull chapleyn, & glad wold haue bene y^t his childe had succeded him.

1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 90. Matthias succeeding Iudas the traitour in the administration of the apostleship.

1611.  Bible, Deut. ii. 12. The children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them, & dwelt in their stead.

1675.  Wood, Life (O.H.S.), II. 310. His brother Ralph succeeds him in the estate.

1702.  N. Blundell, Diary (1895), 6. Eliz. Sumner Dary-Maid left my Service and was suckseeded by Mary Formby.

1841.  Elphinstone, Hist. India, II. 63. When they retired, they were succeeded by the Gakkars.

1860.  R. Ross, Engl. Hist., 149. Richard Cromwell succeeded his father.

1892.  Gardiner, Student’s Hist. Eng., 13. In 47 Aulus Plautius was succeeded by Ostorius Scapula.

1897.  J. W. Clark, Barnwell, Introd. p. xiv. Prior Geoffrey—whose death may be placed in 1112—was succeeded by Prior Gerard.

  † b.  fig. To follow by imitating. Obs.

1577.  Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619), 507. Succeed your fathers and ancestors in obedience.

1601.  Shaks., All’s Well, I. i. 70. Succeed thy father In manners as in shape.

  † 3.  To fall heir to, inherit, come into possession of; = succeed to, 1 d, e. Obs.

1490.  Cov. Leet Bk., 537. Ye must hastely procede vnto theleccion off an-other personne to succede the said office.

1561.  Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, III. i. 73. Egall in degree With him that claimeth to succede the whole.

1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., II. iv. 123. Else let my brother die, If not a fedarie but onely he Owe, and succeed thy weaknesse.

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], Lives Emperors, in Hist. Ivstine, Kk 4. Mychaell, the son of Constantinus Ducas, sur-named … Parapinaceus succeedeth the Empire.

1725.  Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., To C’tess Eglintoun, 131. Thrice happy! who succeed their mother’s praise, The lovely Eglintouns of other days.

  4.  intr. To come next or immediately afterwards in an order of individual persons or things; to follow on; also, † to occupy the space vacated by something. (Sometimes const. to.)

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 12. & next him [sc. Mercury] succedith the Mone; & so forth by ordre, planete aftur planete.

c. 1485.  Digby Myst., II. 344. Go forth yowur way; I wyll succede In-to what place ye wyll me lede.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 28 b. Thys battayl on both sides was sore fought & many slayn, in whose romes succeded euer fresh, and freshmen.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 52. To the Mernes neist succeidis Angus.

1690.  Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxiii. § 24. The ambient Fluid, having a full Liberty to succeed in each Point of Space.

1693.  Ray, Disc., 131. The Waters rising up out of the subterraneous Abyss the Sea must needs succeed.

a. 1700.  Evelyn, Diary, 11 March 1651. There was another Malefactor to succeede.

1715.  Desaguliers, Fires Impr., 25. The cold Air all the while coming down and succeeding at D till the whole Air in the Room has pass’d thro’.

1798.  R. Bloomfield, Farmer’s Boy, Spring, 179. Subordinate they one by one succeed; And one among them always takes the lead.

1908.  A. Dobson, De Libris, Prol. p. v. I can’t pretend to make you read The pages that to this succeed.

  † b.  trans. To follow, walk after. Obs.

c. 1485.  Digby Myst., II. 589. I wyll yow succede, for better or wors, To the prynces of pristes.

1781.  Cowper, Hope, 14. As in a dance the pair that take the lead Turn downward, and the lowest pair succeed.

  † 5.  intr. To be continued, go on. Obs.

1486.  Bk. St. Albans, Her., a j. How bondeage began first in aungell and after succeded in man kynde.

1605.  Verstegan, Dec. Intell., vi. 156. The old grownded opinion, that hath by ancient tradition succeeded from age to age.

1609.  Rowlands, Whole Crew Kind Gossips, 17. My discontent succeedeth day by day.

  6.  To follow or come after in the course of events, the sequence of things, the order of development, etc.; to take place or come into being subsequently. † To succeed: to come; future.

c. 1450.  Godstow Reg., 352. In the which … mese … the Chapelayn … shold haue a dwellyng to serue by the tymys succedyng.

a. 1533.  Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B iij. As the ages hath succeded, so are discouered the sciences.

1570.  Satir. Poems Reform., xvii. 117. We se and spyis not our sorrowis to succeid.

1583.  Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 4), 1397/2. The Masse Priests succeede after Christ, doing the same sacrifice (as they say) which he did before.

1593.  Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., II. iv. 2. After Summer, euermore succeedes Barren Winter. Ibid. (1613), Hen. VIII., V. v. 24. A Patterne to all Princes liuing with her, And all that shall succeed.

1622.  Peacham, Compl. Gentl., x. (1906), 95. After him [sc. Gower] succeeded Lydgate, a Monke of Bury, who wrote that bitter Satyre of Peirs Plow-men.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 535. Enjoy, till I return, Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed. Ibid., X. 733. Who of all Ages to succeed, but feeling The evil on him brought by me, will curse My Head.

1678.  Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 619. Those ill consequences which have since succeeded both at home and abroade.

1781.  Cowper, Hope, 749. And when … This earth shall blaze, and a new world succeed.

1847.  C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, v. Half an hour’s recreation succeeded, then study.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 56. The age of reverence is gone, and the age of irreverence and licentiousness has succeeded.

  † b.  To follow as a consequence of or upon; to proceed from a source; to ensue, result. Obs.

1537.  Starkey, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), I. App. lxxxi. 194. Al worldly respects set aside, and al dangerous success, which might succede of the same.

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., III. 117. Curing a festered soare with a poysoned playster; whence succeeded a dismall discord.

1652.  Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 7. Any innovation of wrongs succeeding thereupon.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 771. The Cause is known, from whence Thy Woe succeeded.

1710.  Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, v. 225. The Normans having conquered this Realm, a thorough abolition of the whole [uniformity of laws, etc.] had like to have succeeded.

  e.  Const. to: = 9.

1687.  A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. Pref. Those Exercises, which in the breeding of Youth, commonly succede to their School Education.

1700.  Dryden, Pal. & Arc., III. 346. While Day to Night, and Night to Day succeeds.

1703.  Rowe, Ulysses, Dedic. That this Glorious End may very suddenly succeed to your Lordship’s Candor and Generous Endeavours after it.

1833.  Tennyson, Two Voices, 205. I know that age to age succeeds, Blowing a noise of tongues and deeds.

  † 7.  To follow in, or come into, the place of someone or something. Obs.

1551.  Robinson, trans. More’s Utopia, II. (1895), 283. They succede into the places of the other at theyre dyinge.

1638.  Junius, Paint. Ancients, 100. Masters should take the scholars in hand with a fatherly minde, esteeming themselves to succeed in their place that committed the children unto them.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XII. 508. But in thir room … Wolves shall succeed for teachers.

1690.  Locke, Hum. Und., II. iv. § 3. The Idea of the Motion of one single Body alone, without any other succeeding immediately into its place.

1701.  Stanhope, Pious Breathings, IV. xii. (1704), 277. When these Spirits are dispossessed, the Spirit of God will succeed into their place.

  b.  Const. to: To take the place of.

1692.  Dryden, Cleomenes, IV. 44.

1807.  G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. II. vii. 325. Anglo-Saxon … on the subduement of the Romanized Ottadini, succeeded to the British tongue.

1819.  Shelley, Cenci, II. i. 52. What can now Have given you that cold melancholy look, Succeeding to your unaccustomed fear?

1883.  Manch. Exam., 30 Nov., 5/3. Something like consternation succeeded to the benevolent interest with which the earlier movements of the Mahdi had been regarded.

  † c.  trans. (causative) To cause to take the place of another. Obs. rare.

1666.  Dryden, Ann. Mirab., clxxv. Young Hollis … Impatient to revenge his fatal Shot, His right hand doubly to his left succeeds.

  † 8.  Of an estate, etc.: To descend in succession; to devolve upon, to come down from. Chiefly Sc.

1536.  Abst. Protocols Town Clerks Glasgow (1897), IV. 92. That the landis and tenement suld succeyd to hym in heretage.

1549.  Compl. Scot., xvii. 155. Considerand that the crop ande rute of our gentreis and genologie hes succedit fra adam.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. 82. Quhais Impire … athir succeiding to thair awne eftircumers, or be violence … occupied be strangeris.

1601.  Shaks., All’s Well, III. vii. 23. A ring the Countie weares, That downward hath succeeded in his house From sonne to sonne. Ibid. (1604), Oth., V. ii. 367 (1st Qo.). Ceaze vpon the fortunes of the Moore: For they succeed to [1st Fol. on] you.

  9.  trans. To come after or follow in the course of time or the sequence of events. (In first quot., to live after, be posterior to.)

c. 1595.  Fisher, Serm. conc. Heretickes, B ij. Tyll vs (that succede the commynge of our sauiour) the same thynges be disclosed.

1608.  Shaks., Per., I. iv. 104. The Curse of heaven and men succeed their euils.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., V. iv. 238. If … those destructive effects they now discover succeeded the curse, and came in with … thornes and briars.

1647.  Cowley, Mistr., Dial., i. Shame succeeds the short-liv’d pleasure.

a. 1774.  Goldsm., Surv. Exp. Philos. (1776), II. 1. The natural philosophers that just succeeded the ages of obscurity.

1784.  Cowper, Task, VI. 259. This smiling sky, So soon succeeding such an angry night.

1816.  Scott, Antiq., xxxi. These alternate feelings of embarrassment, wonder, and grief, seemed to succeed each other more than once upon her torpid features.

1864.  Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., vi. (1875), 85. The rule of Alberic had been succeeded by the wildest confusion.

1913.  Times, 14 May, 6/1. An ideal day for manœuvres, clear and cool, succeeded yesterday’s rain.

  † 10.  intr. To happen, fall out, come to pass, take place. Obs.

1537.  Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 63. Nothing is succeded sythens my last writing.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 79. From thensefurth daily succeded, murder, slaughter, & discencion.

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XVI. 68. By force whereof, it succeded that … they died and their Countrey not deliuered.

1653.  trans. Carmeni’s Nissena, 78. She desired to be inform’d of … what had succeeded since the Prince Doralbo’s expedition.

  † b.  To happen to, fall as a portion to a person.

a. 1533.  Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Nv. If yl succede to him … it is by reason of the ignoraunce of him selfe.

1622.  Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. 259. Lest that succeed vnto them, which happened vnto Don Quixote de la Mancha.

1669.  W. Penn, in Extr. St. Papers rel. Friends, Ser. III. (1912), 280. The honner which will redownd to thee, exceeds farr the advantage that Can succeed to me.

  † 11.  Of an enterprise, etc.: To have a certain issue; to turn out (one way or another, well or ill).

1540–1.  Elyot, Image Gov. (1549), 33. But it succeeded all other wise.

1560.  Bible (Geneva), Tob. iv. 6. If y^u deale truely, thy doings shal prosperously succede to thee.

a. 1586.  Sidney, Ps. XXXVII. i. Though ill deedes well succeeding be.

1595.  Daniel, Civil Wars, I. xliv. But euery day things now succeeded worse.

1600.  Fairfax, Tasso, IV. lxxxii. Yours be the thanks, for yours the danger is, If ought succeed (as much I feare) amis.

1605.  Shaks., Lear, I. ii. 157. I promise you, the effects he writes of, succeede vnhappily.

1684.  R. Waller, Nat. Exper., 40. Whether the manner of their operation would succeed contrary, or any way different to what they appear.

  † b.  To turn out to one’s advantage or disadvantage. Sc. Obs.

1533.  Bellenden, Livy, II. xvi. (S.T.S.), I. 191. Bot his tary and Inobedience succedit to his hevy dammage.

1549.  Compl. Scot., viii. 72. The proditione of ane realme succedis to the hurt of the public veil.

  12.  To have the desired or a fortunate issue or conclusion; to turn out successfully.

c. 1450.  [see SUCCEEDING vbl. sb. 1].

1595–9.  [see SUCCEEDING ppl. a. 5 b].

1617.  Moryson, Itin., I. 161. Since … this our meeting hath not succeeded,… there is no other remedie but to make our peace at leasure by exchange of letters.

1667.  Milton, P. L., I. 166. Our labour must be … out of good still to find means of evil; Which oft times may succeed.

1685.  Dryden, Sylvæ, Pref. This was impossible for Virgil to imitate; because the severity of the Roman language denied him that advantage. Spencer endeavour’d it in his Sheperd’s Calendar; but neither will it succeed in English.

1738.  Wesley, Ps. I. iv. His happy Toil shall all succeed Whom God himself delights to bless.

1808.  Med. Jrnl., XIX. 331. I only used it in two instances, in both of which it succeeded.

1856.  Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. v. 464. There was no reason why an attempt which had succeeded once might not succeed again.

1861.  Buckle, Civiliz. (1873), II. viii. 577. When the spirit of the age is against those remedies, they can at least only succeed for a moment.

  b.  Of growing plants: To meet with success, do well, thrive.

1812.  New Bot. Gard., I. 4. Layers and cuttings likewise sometimes succeed.

1816.  Tuckey, Narr. Exped. R. Zaire, i. (1818), 28. We … were told that wheat succeeds perfectly when sown in the dry plains in the rainy season.

1880.  C. R. Markham, Peruv. Bark, 468. There the North American cottons succeed.

  13.  Of persons: To attain a desired end or object; to be successful in an endeavor; to bring one’s labors to a happy issue. Also formerly, with adv., to have ‘good’ or ‘ill success.’

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XIV. (Percy Soc.), 55. Above al other he did so excell, None sith his time in arte wolde succede, After their death to have fame for their mede.

1678.  Dryden, All for Love, Pref., Ess. 1900, I. 197. Thus the case is hard with writers: if they succeed not, they must starve.

1731–8.  Swift, Pol. Conversat., Introd. 24. Nor did the late D. of R —— and E. of E —— succeed much better.

1735.  Pope, Prol. Sat., 362. Alike my scorn, if he succeed or fail.

1765.  Museum Rust., IV. 368. In this I was told it was impossible to succeed, because a very sensible farmer … had tried the experiment, and failed.

1866.  G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., vii. (1878), 124. I have succeeded very badly.

1884.  Manch. Exam., 16 May, 4/7. If he had studiously endeavoured to be unjust he could not have succeeded more completely.

  b.  Const. in with gerund. (Also transf. of things.)

1839.  Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 67. Cranmer succeeded in obtaining a mitigation of the provisions.

1869.  Tozer, Highl. Turkey, II. 232. Bold touches … succeed in leaving a distinct impression on the mind.

1898.  Flor. Montgomery, Tony, 11. She succeeded in finding an empty carriage.

  † 14.  trans. (causative) To give success to; to prosper, further. Obs.

1613.  Tourneur, P. Henry, 135. Whose influence makes that His own virtues are succeeded justly.

1626.  Shirley, Maid’s Rev., V. iii. Good Ansilva, give’t her, And heavens succeed the operation!

1651.  Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 193. I leave that which I have written to God to succeed as he please.

1654.  Owen, Saints’ Persever., ii. § 20. 44. This way of Disputing will scarce succeed you, in this great undertaking.

1717.  Pope, Iliad, X. 352. Pallas … succeeds their enterprise.

1760–72.  H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), IV. 72. May Heaven succeed your … wish.

1825.  E. Irving, Word God, ii. Wks. 1864, I. 18. God, being ever willing and ever ready to second and succeed His word.

1835.  J. Perkins, Resid. 8 Years in Persia (1843), 219 (Bartlett, Amer.). Sincerely desiring and praying … the smiles of heaven to succeed your … embassy.

  † 15.  intr. To come up or near to, approach. Obs. rare.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., VI. iv. 8. Who euer, as he saw him nigh succeed, Gan cry aloud with horrible affright.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Past., V. 7. Will you to the cooler Cave succeed? Ibid., Georg., III. 632. Snakes, familiar, to the Hearth succeed. Ibid., 758. To his rough Palat, his dry Tongue succeeds.