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support

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Support means to carry, hold up or bear the weight of someone or something. (verb)

An example of support is a tree branch that has a swing hanging from it.
An example of support is someone carrying a child.

Support means to provide comfort, encouragment or financial assistance to someone. (verb)

An example of support is listening to a friend in need.
An example of support is lending money to a sibling.

See support in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

1. to carry or bear the weight of; keep from falling, slipping or sinking; hold up
2. to carry or bear (a specified weight, strain, pressure, etc.)
to give courage, faith, or confidence to; help or comfort
to give approval to or be in favor of; subscribe to; uphold
to maintain or provide for (a person, institution, etc.) with money, or subsistence
to show or tend to show to be true; help prove, vindicate, or corroborate: evidence to support a claim
to bear; endure; submit to; tolerate
to keep up; maintain; sustain; specif., to maintain (the price of a specified commodity) as by government purchase of surpluses
Comput. to be compatible with
see compatible (sense )
Theater to act a subordinate role in the same play with (a specified star)

noun

a supporting or being supported
a person or thing that supports; specif.,
1. a prop, base, brace, etc.
2. a means of subsistence
3. an elastic, girdlelike device to support or bind a part of the body
4. maintenance and service, as for a computer system's software or hardware: technical support

adjective

providing or having to do with support: support staff for a company's computer system

Related Forms:

supportable adjective
supportably adverb

See support in American Heritage Dictionary 4

sup·port

transitive verb sup·port·ed, supporting sup·port·ing, sup·ports

To bear the weight of, especially from below.
To hold in position so as to keep from falling, sinking, or slipping.
To be capable of bearing; withstand: “His flaw'd heart . . . too weak the conflict to support” (Shakespeare).
To keep from weakening or failing; strengthen: The letter supported him in his grief.
To provide for or maintain, by supplying with money or necessities.
To furnish corroborating evidence for: New facts supported her story.
a. To aid the cause, policy, or interests of: supported her in her election campaign.
b. To argue in favor of; advocate: supported lower taxes.
To endure; tolerate: “At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult” (Samuel Johnson).
To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).

noun

a. The act of supporting.
b. The state of being supported.
One that supports.
Maintenance, as of a family, with the necessities of life.

Origin: Middle English supporten, from Old French supporter, from Latin supportāre, to carry : sub-, from below; see sub- + portāre, to carry; see per-² in Indo-European roots.