c.1369, "bearing, deportment," from O.Fr. maintenance, from maintenir (see maintain). Meaning "action of upholding or keeping in being" is from 1413. "Action of providing a person with the necessities of life" is from 1389.
activity involved in maintaining something in good working order; "he wrote the manual on car care" [syn: care]
2.
means of maintenance of a family or group
3.
court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after they are separated [syn: alimony]
4.
the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of subsistence; "they were in want of sustenance"; "fishing was their main sustainment" [syn: sustenance]
5.
the unauthorized interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it (as by helping one party with money or otherwise to continue the action) so as to obstruct justice or promote unnecessary litigation or unsettle the peace of the community; "unlike champerty, criminal maintenance does not necessarily involve personal profit"
maintenanceprogramming The modification of a software product, after delivery, to correct faults, to improve performance or other attributes, or to adapt the product to a changed environment. Maintenance is an important part of the software life-cycle. It is expensive in manpower and resources, and one of the aims of software engineering is to reduce its cost. (1996-12-27)
Cham"per*ty\, n. [F. champart field rent, L. campipars; champ (L. campus) field + part (L. pars) share.]1. Partnership in power; equal share of authority. [Obs.] Beaut['e] ne sleighte, strengthe ne hardyness, Ne may with Venus holde champartye. --Chaucer. 2. (Law) The prosecution or defense of a suit, whether by furnishing money or personal services, by one who has no legitimate concern therein, in consideration of an agreement that he shall receive, in the event of success, a share of the matter in suit; maintenance with the addition of an agreement to divide the thing in suit. See Maintenance. Note: By many authorities champerty is defined as an agreement of this nature. From early times the offence of champerty has been forbidden and punishable.
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