Consist

3 definitions found

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

  Consist \Con*sist"\ (k[o^]n*s[i^]st"), v. i. [imp. & p. p.
     {Consisted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Consisting}.] [L. consistere to
     stand still or firm; con- + sistere to stand, cause to stand,
     stare to stand: cf. F. consister. See {Stand}.]
     1. To stand firm; to be in a fixed or permanent state, as a
        body composed of parts in union or connection; to hold


        together; to be; to exist; to subsist; to be supported and
        maintained.
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              He is before all things, and by him all things
              consist.                              --Col. i. 17.
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     2. To be composed or made up; -- followed by of.
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              The land would consist of plains and valleys. --T.
                                                    Burnet.
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     3. To have as its substance or character, or as its
        foundation; to be; -- followed by in.
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              If their purgation did consist in words. --Shak.
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              A man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
              things which he possesseth.           --Luke xii.
                                                    15.
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     4. To be consistent or harmonious; to be in accordance; --
        formerly used absolutely, now followed by with.
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              This was a consisting story.          --Bp. Burnet.
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              Health consists with temperance alone. --Pope.
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              For orders and degrees
              Jar not with liberty, but well consist. --Milton.
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     5. To insist; -- followed by on. [Obs.] --Shak.
  
     Syn: {To Consist}, {Consist of}, {Consist in}.
  
     Usage: The verb consist is employed chiefly for two purposes,
            which are marked and distinguished by the prepositions
            used. When we wish to indicate the parts which unite
            to compose a thing, we use of; as when we say,
            "Macaulay's Miscellanies consist chiefly of articles
            which were first published in the Edinburgh Review."
            When we wish to indicate the true nature of a thing,
            or that on which it depends, we use in; as, "There are
            some artists whose skill consists in a certain manner
            which they have affected." "Our safety consists in a
            strict adherence to duty."
            [1913 Webster] Consistence

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  consist
       v 1: originate (in); "The problems dwell in the social injustices
            in this country" [syn: {dwell}, {lie}, {belong}, {lie in}]
       2: have its essential character; be comprised or contained in;
          be embodied in; "The payment consists in food"; "What does
          love consist in?"
       3: be consistent in form, tenor, or character; be congruous;
          "Desires are to be satisfied only so far as consists with
          an approved end"
       4: be composed of; "The land he conquered comprised several
          provinces"; "What does this dish consist of?" [syn: {comprise}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  19 Moby Thesaurus words for "consist":
     abide, accord, be, comport, conform, consort, correspond, dovetail,
     dwell, exist, fit in, gee, go, inhere, lie, repose, reside, rest,
     subsist