| subsist | To support with provisions; to feed; to maintain; as, to subsist one's family. "He laid waste the adjacent country in order to render it more difficult for the enemy to subsist their army." (Robertson) 1. To be; to have existence; to inhere. "And makes what happiness we justly call, Subsist not in the good of one, but all." (Pope) 2. To continue; to retain a certain state. "Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve." (Milton) 3. To be maintained with food and clothing; to be supported; to live. "To subsist on other men's charity." (Atterbury) Origin: L. Subsistere to stand still, stay, remain alive; sub under + sistere to stand, to cause to stand, from stare to stand: cf. F. Subsister. See Stand. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| subsistence | 1. Real being; existence. "Not only the things had subsistence, but the very images were of some creatures existing." (Stillingfleet) 2. Inherency; as, the subsistence of qualities in bodies. 3. That which furnishes support to animal life; means of support; provisions, or that which produces provisions; livelihood; as, a meager subsistence. "His viceroy could only propose to himself a comfortable subsistence out of the plunder of his province." (Addison) 4. Same as Hypostasis. Origin: Cf. F. Subsistance, L. Subsistentia. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| subsistence diet | A meager diet providing barely enough for sustenance. (05 Mar 2000) |