The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Succeed \Suc*ceed"\, v. i.
   1. To come in the place of another person, thing, or event;
      to come next in the usual, natural, or prescribed course
      of things; to follow; hence, to come next in the
      possession of anything; -- often with to.
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            If the father left only daughters, they equally
            succeeded to him in copartnership.    --Sir M. Hale.
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            Enjoy till I return
            Short pleasures; for long woes are to succeed!
                                                  --Milton.
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   2. Specifically: To ascend the throne after the removal the
      death of the occupant.
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            No woman shall succeed in Salique land. --Shak.
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   3. To descend, as an estate or an heirloom, in the same
      family; to devolve. --Shak.
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   4. To obtain the object desired; to accomplish what is
      attempted or intended; to have a prosperous issue or
      termination; to be successful; as, he succeeded in his
      plans; his plans succeeded.
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            It is almost impossible for poets to succeed without
            ambition.                             --Dryden.
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            Spenser endeavored it in Shepherd's Kalendar; but
            neither will it succeed in English.   --Dryden.
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   5. To go under cover. [A latinism. Obs.]
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            Will you to the cooler cave succeed!  --Dryden.
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   Syn: To follow; pursue. See Follow.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Succeed \Suc*ceed"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Succeeded; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Succeeding.] [L. succedere, successum; sub under +
   cedere to go, to go along, approach, follow, succeed: cf. F.
   succ['e]der. See Cede, and cf. Success.]
   1. To follow in order; to come next after; hence, to take the
      place of; as, the king's eldest son succeeds his father on
      the throne; autumn succeeds summer.
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            As he saw him nigh succeed.           --Spenser.
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   2. To fall heir to; to inherit. [Obs. & R.] --Shak.
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   3. To come after; to be subsequent or consequent to; to
      follow; to pursue.
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            Destructive effects . . . succeeded the curse. --Sir
                                                  T. Browne.
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   4. To support; to prosper; to promote. [R.]
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            Succeed my wish and second my design. --Dryden.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

succeed
    v 1: attain success or reach a desired goal; "The enterprise
         succeeded"; "We succeeded in getting tickets to the show";
         "she struggled to overcome her handicap and won" [syn:
         succeed, win, come through, bring home the bacon,
         deliver the goods] [ant: fail, go wrong, miscarry]
    2: be the successor (of); "Carter followed Ford"; "Will Charles
       succeed to the throne?" [syn: succeed, come after,
       follow] [ant: come before, precede]