Webster's English Dictionary

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support

1. sup.port \s*-'po-(*)rt, -'po.(*)rt\ vt [ME supporten, fr. MF supporter, 
   fr. LL supportare, fr. L, to] carry, fr. sub- + portare to carry - more at 
   FARE 1: to endure bravely or quietly : BEAR  2a1: to promote the interests 
   or cause of  2a2: to uphold or defend as valid or right : ADVOCATE  2a3: to 
   argue or vote for  2b1: ASSIST, HELP  2b2: to act with VERIFY  3: to pay 
   the costs of : MAINTAIN  4a: to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop 
   for  4b: to maintain (a price) at a high level by purchases or loans; alsoX 
   : to maintain the price of by purchases or loans 5: to keep from fainting, 
   yielding, or losing courage : COMFORT  6: to keep (something) going  means 
   to favor actively one that meets opposition. SUPPORT is least explicit 
   about the nature of the assistance given; UPHOLD implies extended support 
   given to something attached or challenged; ADVOCATE stresses urging or 
   pleading; BACK suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or 
   falling; CHAMPION suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too 
   weak to advocate his own cause SYN syn SUPPORT, UPHOLD, ADVOCATE, BACK, 
   CHAMPION 
2. support n 1: the act or process of supporting : the condition of being 
   supported  2: one that supports