sustain
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
sustain
- /səˈsteɪn/ Canada, US, UK
- /səˈstæɪn/ Australia, New Zealand
Rhymes with -eɪn
Where it comes from
From Middle English susteinen, sustenen, from Old French sustenir (French soutenir), from Latin sustineō, sustinēre (“to uphold”), from sub- (“from below, up”) + teneō (“hold”, verb).
verb sustains · sustaining · sustained
- To maintain, or keep in existence. The professor had trouble sustaining students’ interest until the end of her lectures.
- To provide for or nourish. provisions to sustain an army
- To encourage or sanction (something).
- To experience or suffer (an injury, etc.). The building sustained major damage in the earthquake.
- To confirm, prove, or corroborate; to uphold. to sustain a charge, an accusation, or a proposition
- To allow, accept, or admit (e.g. an objection or motion) as valid.
- To keep from falling; to bear; to uphold; to support. A foundation sustains the superstructure; an animal sustains a load; a rope sustains a weight.
- To aid, comfort, or relieve; to vindicate. When I desir’d their leave that I might pity him, they took from me the use of mine own house, charg’d me on pain of perpetual displeasure neither to speak of him, entreat for him, nor any way sustain him.
- To be a long-lasting sound. I like how long that drum sustains.
noun sustains
- A mechanism which can be used to hold a note, as the right pedal on a piano. To call this music bland is to ignore the down-the-drain vocal fade-aways, the extended sax sustains […]
- Clipping of sustainability.sustainability
