Maintenance

[meyn-tuh-nuh ns] /ˈmeɪn tə nəns/

noun
1.
the act of :
the maintenance of proper oral hygiene.
2.
the state of being :
the maintenance of friendly relations with England.
3.
care or upkeep, as of machinery or property:
With proper maintenance the car will last for many years.
4.
means of upkeep, support, or subsistence; livelihood:
to provide a comfortable maintenance.
5.
alimony or child support.
6.
Law. an officious meddling in a suit in which the meddler has no interest, by assisting either party with means to prosecute or defend it.
adjective
7.
Pharmacology, Psychiatry. administered to sustain a desired physiological or mental condition:
maintenance dose.
/ˈmeɪntɪnəns/
noun
1.
the act of maintaining or the state of being maintained
2.
a means of support; livelihood
3.
(modifier) of or relating to the maintaining of buildings, machinery, etc: maintenance man
4.
(law) (formerly unlawful) the interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it, as by providing funds to continue the action See also champerty
5.
(law) a provision ordered to be made by way of periodical payments or a lump sum, as after a divorce for a spouse
6.
(computing)

n.

mid-14c., “bearing, deportment,” from Old French maintenance “upkeep; shelter, protection,: from maintenir (see maintain). Meaning “action of upholding or keeping in being” is from early 15c. “Action of providing a person with the necessities of life” is from late 14c.

maintenance main·te·nance (mān’tə-nəns)
n.
The extent to which a patient continues good health practices without professional supervision, as distinguished from adherence or compliance.

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)