Sustain Definition
sə-stān
sustained, sustaining, sustains
verb
sustained, sustaining, sustains
To keep in existence; keep up; maintain or prolong.
To sustain a mood.
Webster's New World
To keep up (a joke or assumed role, for example) competently.
American Heritage
To provide for the support of; specif., to provide sustenance or nourishment for.
Webster's New World
To support from or as from below; carry the weight or burden of.
Webster's New World
To strengthen the spirits, courage, etc. of; comfort; buoy up; encourage.
Webster's New World
noun
A capacity of a musical instrument to continue the resounding of a note or tone.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Origin of Sustain
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Middle English sustenen from Old French sustenir from Latin sustinēre sub- from below sub– tenēre to hold ten- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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From Old French sustenir (French: soutenir), from Latin sustineo, from sub- + teneo.
From Wiktionary
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