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sus·te·nance

(sŭstə-nəns)

1. The supporting of life or health; maintenance or means of livelihood: The factory provides sustenance for half the town.

2. Something, especially food, that sustains life or health: looking for sustenance in the kitchen.

3. Something that sustains something else; essential support: researchers seeking financial sustenance.

[Middle English, from Old French, from sustenir, to sustain; see SUSTAIN.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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