Main*tain (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Maintained (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Maintaining.]
[OE. maintenen, F.
maintenir, properly, to hold by the hand; main hand (L. manus) + F. tenir to hold (L. tenere). See Manual, and Tenable.] 1.
To hold or keep in any particular state or condition; to support; to sustain; to uphold; to keep up; not to suffer to
fail or decline; as, to maintain a certain degree of heat in a furnace; to maintain a fence or a railroad; to maintain the digestive process or powers of the
stomach; to maintain the fertility of soil; to maintain present reputation.
2.
To keep possession of; to hold and defend; not to surrender or relinquish.
God values . . . every one as
he maintains his post.
Grew. 3. To continue; not to suffer
to cease or
fail.
Maintain talk with the duke.
Shak.
4. To bear the expense of; to support; to keep up; to supply with what is
needed.
Glad, by his labor,
to maintain his life.
Stirling. What
maintains one vice would bring up two children.
Franklin. 5. To affirm; to
support or defend by argument.
It is hard to maintain the truth, but much harder to be
maintained by it.
South. Syn. -- To assert; vindicate; allege. See Assert.
Hear it pronounced