ˈsəstənən(t)s noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from sustenir to sustain + -ance
1.
a. : means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living
it is chiefly through his equipment that man acts on and reacts to the external world, draws sustenance therefrom — V.G.Childe
there is neither tolerance nor sustenance of his intended calling — F.C.Neff
b.
(1) : food , refreshments
trooping off the ladies as soon as they had taken their sustenance — George Meredith
(2) : nourishment
countries in which children are in desperate need of physical sustenance to remain alive — Mark Starr
2.
a. : the act of sustaining or the state of being sustained
b. : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
money for sustenance of the homeless
3. : something that gives support, endurance, or strength
Synonyms: see living