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| sus·tain [ sə stáyn ] |
transitive verb (past and past participle sus·tained, present participle sus·tain·ing, 3rd person present singular sus·tains) |
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| Definition: |
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1. nourish somebody: to provide somebody with nourishment or the necessities of life
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2. support something from below: to keep something in position by holding it from below
 The floor will not sustain the weight of a grand piano.
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3. provide somebody with moral support: to keep somebody going with emotional or moral support
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4. withstand something: to manage to withstand something and continue in spite of it
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5. be affected by something: to experience a setback, injury, damage, loss, or defeat
 sustained several broken bones
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6. maintain something: to make something continue to exist
 sustaining the audience's interest
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7. keep pretense going: to maintain a pretense successfully
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8. confirm something: to confirm that something is true or valid
 sustained the lower court's ruling
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9. law validate something: to decide that a statement or objection is valid or justified
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noun (plural sus·tains) |
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| Definition: |
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music prolonged musical note: a musical note that is prolonged
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| [13th century. < Anglo-Norman sustein-, stem of sustenir< Latin sustinere "hold up" < tenere "hold"] |
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 sus·tain·ment noun |
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