Also 5–6 supporte, 6 suport. [f. SUPPORT v. Cf. F. support (from 15th c.).] I. The action of supporting.
1. The action, or an act, of preventing a person from giving way, backing him up, or taking his part; assistance, countenance, backing.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 193. To do pite support and grace, The Philosophre … A tale of gret essample tolde.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 22. Lat no man bost … Of tresoure, riches, nor of sapience, Of worldly support.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxi. 76. Neuer socours ne comforte by me, nor of my supporte, was gyuen to theym.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, II. xiii. (S.T.S.), I. 179. Vetusius consul was send in þare supporte.
c. 1549. Reg. Aberdon. (Maitland Cl.), II. 307. Vtheris gratitudis helpis supportis and guid dedis els done to ws.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 163. They … send to Ingland for suport…; quhilk suport was grantit to thame.
1777. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 195. When you find men that you ought to trust, you must give them support.
1802. Nelson, 10 Nov., in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), V. 30. Your gallant support of me at the Battle of Copenhagen.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. II. 191. That the great plan … might obtain the approbation and support of his father-in-law.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ix. § 3. 622. Clarendon was still strong in the support of the House of Commons.
† b. Phr. (see SUPPORTATION 1 b). Obs.
c. 1430. Lydg., Lyke the Audience, 117, in Pol., Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 55. Vndir support of his [sc. Christ’s] magnificence. Ibid., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 48. Under support of your pacyence.
1493. Petronilla, 41 (Pynson). With humble support of youre audience Peysed youre power and youre holynesse What may this mene?
a. 1500. Flower & Leaf, 590. I … put al I had seen in wryting, Under support of hem that lust it rede.
c. Spiritual help; also subjectively, mental comfort.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, ix. 37. To ignorantis nocht gaif I my teiching,… Nor to my nychtbouris support of my praying.
1673. Flavel, Fount. Life, xxxiii. Wks. 1701, I. 170. When one asked holy Mr. Baines how the Case stood with his Soul, he answered; ‘Supports I have, tho’ Suavities I want.’
1793. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 177. It would be a matter of support and consolation to me.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, ii. We must ask support from above.
1861. Mrs. Stowe, Pearl Orr’s Isl., iv. 26. I hope the Cap’n and Mrs. Pennel ’ll get some support at the prayer-meetin’ this afternoon.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xviii. She felt a sense of support in truths which … kindled her imagination and touched her heart.
d. Corroboration or substantiation (of a statement, principle, etc.); advocacy (of a proposal, motion, etc.): chiefly in phr. in support of.
1771. Junius Lett., xlvii. (1788), 260. I … feel a considerable pleasure in being able to communicate any thing … in support of his opinions.
1857. J. Scott, Common Bench Rep., N. S. I. 658. Overend, Q.C. and Chandler, in support of the rule.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 16. Nearly all of [these words] … have the support of some poetical or other authority.
1891. Law Times, XCII. 105/1. The evidence to be called in support of their statement.
e. Mil. The action of supporting other troops. In support: acting as a second line. (Cf. 5 b.)
1805. James, Milit. Dict. (ed. 2), s.v., Line of support, the second line in action.
1892. G. Philips, Text Bk. Fortif., etc. (ed. 5), 115. The whole of these troops, whether firing, or either in support or in reserve.
attrib. 1915. Times, 29 April, 9/6. From a support trench, about 600 yards from the German lines, he observed the gas.
† 2. Bearing or defraying of charge or expense.
1591. Exch. Rolls Scot., XXII. 102. Assignit to the comptar in support of the chairgis and burding of his office.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 21 Feb. 1666. For support of the next yeares charge.
3. The action of keeping from failing, exhaustion or perishing; esp. the supplying of a living thing with what is necessary for subsistence; the maintenance of life.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Coronat. Solyman, 98. A very great scarcity … of all things necessary for humane support.
1760. Foote, Minor, I. Wks. 1799, I. 239. I will cast him out, as an alien to my blood, and trust for the support of my name and family to a remoter branch.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 169. All fish … stand in need of air for their support.
1781. Cowper, Conversat., 771. She boasts … That while in health, the ground of her support Is madly to forget that life is short.
1802. Maria Edgeworth, Moral T., Forester, xii. She had a large family, that depended upon her labour, and her character, for support.
1829. T. Castle, Introd. Bot., 285. The wonderful provisions for the propagation and support of plants.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. i. 66. To provide some other means for the support of the impotent poor.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., li. 55. Alone, it is insufficient for the support of life.
1915. R. Holmes, My Police Crt. Friends, v. 152. A youth … being found about the streets without visible means of support was locked up for his own safety.
b. The action of contributing to the success or maintaining the value of something.
1912. Times, 19 Dec., 18/3. Rio Tinto [shares] touched 713/44 at one time on French support. Ibid., 20/3. Egyptian futures … relapsed to 9 to 11 points below last night under Continental selling and poor support.
4. The action or fact of holding up, keeping from falling, or bearing the weight of something; the condition of being so supported.
1663. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., i. (1687), 2. His Leggs beginning … to fail him, and to deny him so much as their support.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1634. Those two massie Pillars That to the arched roof gave main support.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, June 1645. Without any support of columns.
1796. Phil. Trans., LXXXVI. 47. The pressure of the fluid, by which the solid is supported, acts upward, in the direction of a vertical line (usually called the line of support) which passes through the centre of gravity of the part immersed.
1812. New Bot. Gard., I. 94. Slender stems which require support.
1842. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss., Points of Support, the points or surfaces on which a building rests.
b. Sc. Law. The resting of the whole or part of a building or of a beam on the property of the servient tenement.
1681, 1754. [see SERVIENT a. 2].
1838. W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., s.v. Servitudes, An urban servitude is in some way connected with houses: to this class belong support, oneris ferendi, tigni immittendi, stillicide…, light, prospect. Ibid., s.v., Where a servitude of support is constituted by writing.
II. One who or that which supports.
5. A person or thing that upholds or sustains (in fig. senses); a supporter, ‘prop,’ ‘stay.’
1594. Kyd, Cornelia, IV. ii. 201. High Ioue the heauens among (Their support that suffer wrong).
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemplar, III. 164. It is to us a comfort and support, pleasant to our spirits.
1671. Milton, Samson, 554. O madness, to think use of … strongest drinks our chief support of health.
1720. Ozell, trans. Vertot’s Rom. Rep., I. VI. 332. Wholesome Terror was the Support of the Sumptuary Laws.
1741. Shenstone, Judgem. Hercules, 314. Nor swells the grape … Without the firm supports of industry.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., xxx. [Hereward] the most important support of Comnenus during the whole of that eventful day.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 125. Institutions, which … had been considered as the strongest supports of monarchical power.
b. Mil. (pl.) A supporting body of troops; the second line in a battle. (Cf. 1 e.)
1852. Burn, Naval & Milit. Dict., II. s.v., Supports to a line of skirmishers.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., vii. (ed. 2), 263. The leading boats are to contain skirmishers and supports.
6. That which supports life; supply of necessaries; means of livelihood or subsistence; † formerly sometimes simply = food, provisions.
1599. Dallam, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakluyt Soc.), 88. We carried our supportes and other Lugedge to the sea-sid.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 1. Liuelyhood and support fit for their estates.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., II. iii. 64. To which Title, A Thousand pound a yeare, Annuall support,… he addes.
1789. Massachusetts Spy, 20 Aug., 3/2. We now doubt his acceptance of that place, unless a decent support should be annexed to it.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, III. xx. 210. La Luc … tried to take some support; but the convulsions of his throat would not suffer him to swallow.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xxxv. I trust there is charity enough among the noble friends of my house, to make up some support for the orphan of Croye.
b. One who or that which furnishes means of livelihood, or maintains a person or community.
1745. Pococke, Descr. East, II. II. II. xxiii. 114. The support of this place is a great export of white wine.
1825. Lamb, Elia, Barbara S—. Her slender earnings were the sole support of the family.
1883. Gilmour, Mongols, xxiii. 285. He was … the sole support of his father.
7. Anything that holds up, or sustains the weight of, a body, or upon which it rests.
1570. Levins, Manip., 173/35. A Supporte, adminiculum.
1681. H. Keepe, Mon. Westm., 23. That curious Chappell of the Blessed Virgin, built by Henry VII whose Battlements, Windows, Supports and adornments speak no less the magnificence of the Founder than the Mastership of the Inventer and skill of the Workmen.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xxiv. (1842), 648. A crucible,… with its cover and a support.
1854. J. L. Petit, Archit. Stud. France, p. viii. Mark the directions of the several thrusts and supports.
1875. Bennett & Dyer, trans. Sachs’ Bot., III. v. 782. Curvatures caused … by the pressure of supports on tendrils.
1879. R. K. Douglas, Confucianism, iv. 96. Like a chair which, having lost a leg, or which stands unevenly on its feet, is useless as a support.
† b. Metaph. = SUBSTRATUM 1. (Cf. SUPPORT v. 8 c.) Obs. rare.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. xxiii. § 4. Because we cannot conceive, how they [sc. qualities] should subsist alone, nor one in another, we suppose them to exist in, and supported by some common subject; which Support we denote by the name Substance.
c. Photogr. The substance (as glass, paper, etc.) that supports the sensitive film on which the image is produced.
1878. Abney, Photogr., v. 36. In the collodion process,… the support may be of glass, if it be backed with some dark coloured substance.
