deputy

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A person appointed or empowered to act for another.
2. n. An assistant exercising full authority in the absence of his or her superior and equal authority in emergencies: a deputy to the sheriff.
3. n. A representative in a legislative body in certain countries.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A person appointed or elected to act for another or others; one who exercises an office in another's right; a lieutenant or substitute.
2. n. Specifically.
3. n. One deputed to represent a body of electors; one elected to the office of representative: as, the deputies to the French Chamber of Deputies.
4. n. In law, one who by authority exercises another's office or some function thereof, in the name or place of the principal, but has no interest in the office. A deputy may in general perform all the functions of his principal, or those specially deputed to him, but cannot again depute his powers. Specifically— A subordinate officer authorized to act in place of the principal officer, as, for instance, in his absence. If authorized to exercise for the time being the whole power of his principal, he is a general deputy, and may usually act in his own name with his official addition of deputy, etc.
5. Serving as a deputy; deputed: as, a deputy sheriff.

Wiktionary

1. n. One appointed as the substitute of another, and empowered to act for him, in his name or his behalf; a substitute in office; a lieutenant; a representative; a delegate; a vicegerent; as, the deputy of a prince, of a sheriff, of a township, etc.
2. n. : A member of the Chamber of Deputies, formerly called Corps Législatif
3. n. Ireland a member of Dáil Éireann, or the title of a member of Dáil Éireann. (Normally capitalised in both cases)

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One appointed as the substitute of another, and empowered to act for him, in his name or his behalf; a substitute in office; a lieutenant; a representative; a delegate; a vicegerent
2. n. France A member of the Chamber of Deputies.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a member of the lower chamber of a legislative assembly (such as in France)
2. n. a person appointed to represent or act on behalf of others
3. n. an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
4. n. someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies