subsist
To survive on a minimum of resourcesTo survive on a minimum of resources.
Recorded UK: Speaker: Vealhurl Recorder: Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
» Giraffes subsist mainly on acacia leaves.
Amastan · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
4 sensesTo survive on a minimum of resources.
выживатьvyživatʹ
To have ontological reality; to exist.
To retain a certain state; to continue.
(obsolete, transitive)To supply sustenance or subsistence to or for.
- support oneself
Examples
6 sentencesGiraffes subsist mainly on acacia leaves.
The settlers subsisted on bread and water.
deDie Siedler ernährten sich von Brot und Wasser. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
The rural population subsists primarily on nomadic herding.
We subsisted on what we could find in the forest.
ruМы питались тем, что могли найти в лесу. — Wezel
deWir ernährten uns von dem, was wir im Walde fanden. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Vampire bats are the only mammals that are hematophagous, meaning that they subsist entirely on the blood of other animals.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
From Latin subsistō (“halt, stop”), from sub (“below”) + sistō (“stand, place”). Compare cFrom Latin subsistō (“halt, stop”), from sub (“below”) + sistō (“stand, place”). Compare consist, desist, exist, insist, persist.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
subsists, subsisting, subsisted, subsistedSynonyms
3 synonymsWord family
5 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.