deputy

Definitions

de- (off, away) + put (reckon, assign) = someone a duty has been 'cut off' and assigned to. From depute ('to delegate') comes the deputy: the person reckoned to act in another's place — second-in-command.

Why It Means This

The 'thinking' sense of put is faint here, so it helps to see the bridge: putāre also meant 'to allot/assign by reckoning.' To depute a task is to mentally apportion it to someone; the deputy is the one it lands on. That's why 'deputy' attaches to almost any title (deputy mayor, deputy head) — it simply marks the delegated stand-in.

Common Collocations

• 1.deputy director副主任
• 2.deputy manager副经理
• 3.deputy head副校长
• 4.deputy sheriff副警长
• 5.act as deputy担任副手

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The deputy stepped in while the manager was away.

• 2.

  She was appointed deputy head of the department.