soutane, n.f., cassock; (fig.) cloth; priests.
soutanelle, n.f., short cassock.
soute, n.f., (nav.) store-room. — aux poudres; (nav.) powder-magazine, powder-room. V. soulte. — à charbon; coal-bunker; coal-chute. — au pain; bread-room; bread-pan.
soutenable (soo-tnabl), adj., sustainable, maintainable; supportable, tenable.
soutenance, n.f., the sustaining of a thesis.
soutenant (soo-tnān), n.m., sustainer, mooter (student); respondent.
soutènement (-tè-n-mān), n.m., (arch.) support, prop; (jur.) written explanation. Mur de —; breast-wall.
souteneur (soo-tneur), n.m., bully; pimp.
soutenir (soo-tnir), v.a., to support, to sustain, to bear, to bear up; to hold, to hold up; to keep up, to uphold; to assert, to maintain; to uphold, to affirm, to back, to stand by; to countenance, to favor; to prop, to prop up; to strengthen; to afford (an expense); to endure, to bear up against. — une famille; to support a family. — la conversation; to keep up the conversation. — son rang; to uphold, or keep up, one’s rank. — le combat; to maintain the fight. — la lumière; to bear the light. Il ne peut — la raillerie; he cannot stand joking. Le vin vous soutient; wine strengthens one. — une thèse; to sustain a thesis. — un siège; to sustain a siege.
se soutenir, v.r., to support one’s self; to sustain one’s self; to stand up, to keep one’s self up; to bear up; to hold out; to succeed; to continue, to get on, not to flag. Elle se soutient bien; she holds out very well. Son style ne se soutient pas; his style is not sustained. Se — contre; to resist, to withstand.