Word Study
sustenance
CIDE DICTIONARY
sustenance, n. [OF. sustenance, sostenance, soustenance: cf. L. sustenentia endurance. See Sustain.].
- The act of sustaining; support; maintenance; subsistence; as, the sustenance of the body; the sustenance of life. [1913 Webster]
- That which supports life; food; victuals; provisions; means of living; as, the city has ample sustenance. Chaucer. [1913 Webster]"For lying is thy sustenance, thy food." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
sustenance, n.
1 a nourishment, food. b the process of nourishing.
2 a means of support; a livelihood.
1 a nourishment, food. b the process of nourishing.
2 a means of support; a livelihood.
Etymology
ME f. AF sustenaunce, OF so(u)stenance (as SUSTAIN)
THESAURUS
sustenance
TLC, aid, aliment, alimentation, alimony, backing, board, bread, bread and butter, care, carriage, carrying, cheer, chow, comestibles, continualness, continuance, continuation, continuity, creature comfort, cuisine, daily bread, eatables, eats, economic support, edibles, endowment, endurance, extension, fare, fast food, feast, food, food and drink, foodstuff, foodstuffs, groceries, grub, health food, ingesta, junk food, keep, kitchen stuff, lengthening, livelihood, living, maintenance, manna, meat, moral support, mothering, nosh, nourishment, nurture, nutriment, pabulum, pap, perpetuation, perseverance, persistence, price support, progress, progression, prolongation, protraction, provender, provision, provisions, psychological support, pursuance, rations, refection, refreshment, reliance, repetition, run, salt, scoff, security blanket, spread, staying power, straight course, subsidization, subsidy, subsistence, subvention, support, supportive relationship, supportive therapy, sustained action, sustaining, sustainment, sustentation, table, tender loving care, tucker, uninterrupted course, unremittingness, upholding, upkeep, viands, victuals, vittles, wayROGET THESAURUS
sustenance
Food
N food, eating, deglutition, gulp, epulation, mastication, manducation, rumination, gluttony, hippophagy, ichthyophagy, (appetite), mouth, jaws, mandible, mazard, gob, chops, drinking, potation, draught, libation, carousal, drunkenness, food, pabulum, aliment, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, sustentation, sustention, nurture, subsistence, provender, corn, feed, fodder, provision, ration, keep, commons, board, commissariat, prey, forage, pasture, pasturage, fare, cheer, diet, dietary, regimen, belly timber, staff of life, bread, bread and cheese, comestibles, eatables, victuals, edibles, ingesta, grub, grubstake, prog, meat, bread, bread stuffs, cerealia, cereals, viands, cates, delicacy, dainty, creature comforts, contents of the larder, fleshpots, festal board, ambrosia, good cheer, good living, beef, bisquit, bun, cornstarch, cookie, cooky, cracker, doughnut, fatling, hardtack, hoecake, hominy, mutton, pilot bread, pork, roti, rusk, ship biscuit, veal, joint, piece de resistance, roast and boiled, remove, entremet, releve, hash, rechauffe, stew, ragout, fricassee, mince, pottage, potage, broth, soup, consomme, puree, spoonmeat, pie, pasty, volauvent, pudding, omelet, pastry, sweets, kickshaws, condiment, appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, main course, entree, alligator pear, apple, apple slump, artichoke, ashcake, griddlecake, pancake, flapjack, atole, avocado, banana, beche de mer, barbecue, beefsteak, beet root, blackberry, blancmange, bloater, bouilli, bouillon, breadfruit, chop suey, chowder, chupatty, clam, compote, damper, fish, frumenty, grapes, hasty pudding, ice cream, lettuce, mango, mangosteen, mince pie, oatmeal, oyster, pineapple, porridge, porterhouse steak, salmis, sauerkraut, sea slug, sturgeon ("Albany beef"), succotash, supawn, trepang, vanilla, waffle, walnut, table, cuisine, bill of fare, menu, table d'hote, ordinary, entree, meal, repast, feed, spread, mess, dish, plate, course, regale, regalement, refreshment, entertainment, refection, collation, picnic, feast, banquet, junket, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, dejeuner, bever, tiffin, dinner, supper, snack, junk food, fast food, whet, bait, dessert, potluck, table d'hote, dejeuner a la fourchette, hearty meal, square meal, substantial meal, full meal, blowout, light refreshment, bara, chotahazri, bara khana, mouthful, bolus, gobbet, morsel, sop, sippet, drink, beverage, liquor, broth, soup, potion, dram, draught, drench, swill, nip, sip, sup, gulp, wine, spirits, liqueur, beer, ale, malt liquor, Sir John Barleycorn, stingo, heavy wet, grog, toddy, flip, purl, punch, negus, cup, bishop, wassail, gin, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, tea, the cup that cheers but not inebriates, bock beer, lager beer, Pilsener beer, schenck beer, Brazil tea, cider, claret, ice water, mate, mint julep, near beer, 2 beer, non- alcoholic beverage, eating house, diner, hippophage, glutton, eatable, edible, esculent, comestible, alimentary, cereal, cibarious, dietetic, culinary, nutritive, nutritious, gastric, succulent, potable, potulent, bibulous, omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous, ichthyivorous, omophagic, omophagous, pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous, across the walnuts and the wine, blessed hour of our dinners!, now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!, who can cloy the hungry edge of appetite?.For further exploring for "sustenance" in Webster Dictionary Online