Emily Dickinson Lexicon

IN-STEAD', adv. [insted'; a compound of in and stead, place; but stead retains its character of a noun, and is followed by of; instead of, in the same manner as in the stead of.]

In the place or room of. Let thistles grow instead of wheat. Job xxxi. Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab. 2 Sam. xvii. This consideration is instead of a thousand arguments. In this use, instead may be equivalent to equal to. When instead is used without of following, there is an ellipsis, or some words are understood.