dictionary definitions for "maintenance"


From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:

  maintenance
      n 1: activity involved in maintaining something in good working
           order; "he wrote the manual on car care" [syn: care,
           upkeep]
      2: means of maintenance of a family or group
      3: court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after
         they are separated [syn: alimony]
      4: the act of sustaining life by food or providing a means of
         subsistence; "they were in want of sustenance"; "fishing
         was their main sustainment" [syn: sustenance,
         sustentation, sustainment, upkeep]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Maintenance \Main"te*nance\, n. [OF. maintenance. See
     Maintain.]
     1. The act of maintaining; sustenance; support; defense;
        vindication.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Whatsoever is granted to the church for God's honor
              and the maintenance of his service, is granted to
              God.                                  --South.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. That which maintains or supports; means of sustenance;
        supply of necessaries and conveniences.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Those of better fortune not making learning their
              maintenance.                          --Swift.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Crim. Law) An officious or unlawful intermeddling in a
        cause depending between others, by assisting either party
        with money or means to carry it on. See Champerty.
        --Wharton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Those actions required for the care of machinery, a
        building, etc., to keep it clean and in proper functioning
        condition, and to prevent or forestall damage due to
        normal use.
        [PJC]
  
     5. Payments, such as child support or alimony, to a dependent
        child not living with one or to a divorced wife.
        [PJC]
  
     Cap of maintenance. See under Cap.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 Sep 2003) [foldoc]:

  maintenance
  
     <programming> The modification of a software product, after
     delivery, to correct faults, to improve performance or other
     attributes, or to adapt the product to a changed environment.
  
     Maintenance is an important part of the software life-cycle.
     It is expensive in manpower and resources, and one of the aims
     of software engineering is to reduce its cost.
  
     (1996-12-27)
  


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