sustain

sustain
sus|tain
W3 [səˈsteın] v [T]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
1¦(make something continue)¦
2¦(suffer)¦
3¦(food/drink)¦
4¦(give strength)¦
5¦(weight)¦
6¦(idea)¦
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: sustenir, from Latin sustinere 'to hold up, sustain', from sub- 'up' + tenere 'to hold']
1.) ¦(MAKE SOMETHING CONTINUE)¦
to make something continue to exist or happen for a period of time
She found it difficult to sustain the children's interest.
He was incapable of sustaining close relationships with women.
the policies necessary to sustain economic growth
→↑sustained
2.) ¦(SUFFER)¦
formal to suffer damage, an injury, or loss of money
Two of the fire-fighters sustained serious injuries.
Some nearby buildings sustained minor damage.
The company has sustained heavy financial losses this year.
3.) ¦(FOOD/DRINK)¦
formal if food or drink sustains a person, animal, or plant, it makes them able to continue living
They gave me barely enough food to sustain me.
4.) ¦(GIVE STRENGTH)¦
formal to make someone feel strong and hopeful
The thought of seeing her again was all that sustained me.
5.) ¦(WEIGHT)¦
formal to hold up the weight of something
= ↑support
He leant against her so heavily that she could barely sustain his weight.
6.) ¦(IDEA)¦
formal to support an idea or argument, or prove that it is right
This argument is difficult to sustain.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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  • Sustain — is a parameter of musical sound in time. As its name may imply, it denotes the period of time during which the sound is sustained before it becomes inaudible, or silent.Furthermore, sustain is the third of the four segments in an ADSR envelope.… …   Wikipedia

  • sustain — sus·tain /sə stān/ vt 1: to support as true, legal, or just 2: to allow or uphold as valid sustain an objection compare overrule 1 sus·tain·able adj Merri …   Law dictionary

  • Sustain — Sus*tain , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Sustained}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Sustaining}.] [OE. sustenen, susteinen, OF. sustenir, sostenir, F. soutenir (the French prefix is properly fr. L. subtus below, fr. sub under), L. sustinere; pref. sus (see {Sub }) +… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sustain — sus‧tain [səˈsteɪn] verb [transitive] 1. if a company sustains losses or other difficulties, it has them: • Like other insurance companies, we have sustained heavy losses. • The record industry sustained a sales …   Financial and business terms

  • sustain — Fowler s view in 1926 was that ‘sustain as a synonym for suffer or receive or get belongs to the class of formal words, and is better avoided’, and its use in the contexts of injuries, losses, hardship, etc., is still widely disliked. Fowler was… …   Modern English usage

  • sustain — [sə stān′] vt. [ME susteinen < OFr sustenir < L sustinere < sus (see SUB ), under + tenere, to hold (see THIN)] 1. to keep in existence; keep up; maintain or prolong [to sustain a mood] 2. to provide for the support of; specif., to… …   English World dictionary

  • Sustain — Sus*tain , n. One who, or that which, upholds or sustains; a sustainer. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] I waked again, for my sustain was the Lord. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sustain — [v1] keep up, maintain aid, approve, assist, back, bankroll, bear, befriend, bolster, brace, buoy, buttress, carry, comfort, confirm, continue, convey, defend, endorse, favor, feed, foster, go for, help, keep alive, keep from falling, keep going …   New thesaurus

  • sustain — late 13c., from O.Fr. sustenir hold up, endure, from L. sustinere hold up, support, endure, from sub up from below + tenere to hold (see TENET (Cf. tenet)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • sustain — 1 *support, prop, bolster, buttress, brace Analogous words: *continue, persist, endure, abide: uphold, back (see SUPPORT): *prove, demonstrate Antonyms: subvert 2 *experience, un …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sustain — ► VERB 1) strengthen or support physically or mentally. 2) bear (the weight of an object). 3) suffer (something unpleasant). 4) keep (something) going over time or continuously. 5) confirm that (something) is just or valid. DERIVATIVES sustainer… …   English terms dictionary

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