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supports - 3 dictionary results
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sup⋅port

  [suh-pawrt, -pohrt]
Use supports in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.
2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.
3. to undergo or endure, esp. with patience or submission; tolerate.
4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.
5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.
6. to uphold (a person, cause, policy, etc.) by aid, countenance, one's vote, etc.; back; second.
7. to maintain or advocate (a theory, principle, etc.).
8. to corroborate (a statement, opinion, etc.): Leading doctors supported his testimony.
9. to act with or second (a lead performer); assist in performance: The star was supported by a talented newcomer.
–noun
10. the act or an instance of supporting.
11. the state of being supported.
12. something that serves as a foundation, prop, brace, or stay.
13. maintenance, as of a person or family, with necessaries, means, or funds: to pay for support of an orphan.
14. a person or thing that supports, as financially: The pension was his only support.
15. a person or thing that gives aid or assistance.
16. an actor, actress, or group performing with a lead performer.
17. the material, as canvas or wood, on which a picture is painted.
18. Stock Exchange. support level.
–adjective
19. (of hosiery) made with elasticized fibers so as to fit snugly on the legs, thereby aiding circulation, relieving fatigue, etc.
Origin:
1350–1400; (v.) ME supporten < MF supporter < ML supportāre to endure (L: to convey), equiv. to sup- sup- + portāre to carry (see port 5 ); (n.) ME, deriv. of the v.

Related forms:
sup⋅port⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1, 6. Support, maintain, sustain, uphold all mean to hold up and to preserve. To support is to hold up or add strength to, literally or figuratively: The columns support the roof. To maintain is to support so as to preserve intact: to maintain an attitude of defiance. To sustain, a rather elevated word, suggests completeness and adequacy in supporting: The court sustained his claim. Uphold applies esp. to supporting or backing another, as in a statement, opinion, or belief: to uphold the rights of a minority. 3. suffer, bear, stand, stomach. 13. sustenance, subsistence, keep. See living.

support level

 
–noun Stock Exchange.
a minimum price below which a specific stock is not supposed to fall, as because of the stock's inherent worth.
Also called support, support area, support zone.

Origin:
1950–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To supports
sup·port   (sə-pôrt', -pōrt')   
tr.v.   sup·port·ed, sup·port·ing, sup·ports
  1. To bear the weight of, especially from below.
  2. To hold in position so as to keep from falling, sinking, or slipping.
  3. To be capable of bearing; withstand: "His flaw'd heart . . . too weak the conflict to support" (Shakespeare).
  4. To keep from weakening or failing; strengthen: The letter supported him in his grief.
  5. To provide for or maintain, by supplying with money or necessities.
  6. To furnish corroborating evidence for: New facts supported her story.
    1. To aid the cause, policy, or interests of: supported her in her election campaign.
    2. To argue in favor of; advocate: supported lower taxes.
  8. To endure; tolerate: "At supper there was such a conflux of company that I could scarcely support the tumult" (Samuel Johnson).
  9. To act in a secondary or subordinate role to (a leading performer).
n.  
    1. The act of supporting.
    2. The state of being supported.
  2. One that supports.
  3. Maintenance, as of a family, with the necessities of life.

[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.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to give aid or encouragement to a person or cause. Support is the most general: "the policy of Cromwell, who supported the growing power of France against the declining power of Spain" (William E.H. Lecky).
To uphold is to maintain or affirm in the face of a challenge or strong opposition: "The Declaration of Right upheld the principle of hereditary monarchy" (Edmund Burke).
Back suggests material or moral support intended to contribute to or assure success: The important medical research was backed by the federal government.
Advocate implies verbal support, often in the form of pleading or arguing: Scientists advocate a reduction in saturated fats in the human diet.
To champion is to fight for one that is under attack or is unable to act in its own behalf: "championed the government and defended the system of taxation" (Samuel Chew).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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