Supporter

3 definitions found

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

  Supporter \Sup*port"er\, n.
     1. One who, or that which, supports; as, oxygen is a
        supporter of life.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The sockets and supporters of flowers are figured.


                                                    --Bacon.
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              The saints have a . . . supporter in all their
              miseries.                             --South.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Especially, an adherent; one who sustains, advocates, and
        defends; as, the supporter of a party, faction, or
        candidate.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Shipbuilding) A knee placed under the cathead.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Her.) A figure, sometimes of a man, but commonly of some
        animal, placed on either side of an escutcheon, and
        exterior to it. Usually, both supporters of an escutcheon
        are similar figures.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Med.) A broad band or truss for supporting the abdomen or
        some other part or organ.
        [1913 Webster]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  supporter
       n 1: a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their
            supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of
            the library" [syn: {protagonist}, {champion}, {admirer},
             {booster}, {friend}]
       2: someone who supports or champions something [syn: {patron},
          {sponsor}]
       3: a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or
          furtherance of an effort or purpose; "my invaluable
          assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the
          work" [syn: {assistant}, {helper}, {help}]
       4: a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a
          stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve) [syn: {garter}]
       5: a support for the genitals worn by men engaging in strenuous
          exercise [syn: {athletic supporter}, {suspensor}, {jockstrap},
           {jock}]

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

  186 Moby Thesaurus words for "supporter":
     Maecenas, Santa Claus, abettor, acquaintance, adherent, admirer,
     advocate, aficionado, aid, almoner, almsgiver, alpenstock,
     alter ego, angel, apologist, appendage, arm, assignor, assistant,
     athletic supporter, attendant, awarder, back, backbone, backer,
     backing, bandeau, bearer, best friend, bestower, bosom friend, bra,
     brace, bracer, braces, bracket, brassiere, brother, buff, buttress,
     cane, carrier, casual acquaintance, cavaliere servente, cervix,
     champion, cheerful giver, close acquaintance, close friend, cohort,
     conferrer, confidant, confidante, consignor, contributor, corset,
     courtier, crook, crutch, dangler, defender, dependence, dependent,
     devotee, disciple, donator, donor, encourager, endorser,
     enthusiast, exponent, expounder, fairy godmother, familiar, fan,
     favorer, fellow, fellow creature, fellowman, feoffor, financer,
     flunky, follower, following, foundation garment, friend,
     friend at court, fulcrum, funder, galluses, girdle, giver, grantor,
     grubstaker, guard, guy, guywire, hanger, hanger-on, helper,
     henchman, homme de cour, imparter, inseparable friend, intimate,
     jock, jockstrap, lady bountiful, lover, mainstay, maintainer, mast,
     meal ticket, neck, neighbor, other self, pair of suspenders,
     paladin, paranymph, parasite, partisan, patron, patroness,
     philanthropist, pickup, presenter, promoter, prop, proponent,
     protagonist, protector, public, pursuer, pursuivant, reinforce,
     reinforcement, reinforcer, reliance, repository, rest,
     resting place, rigging, satellite, second, seconder, sectary,
     settler, shadow, shoulder, shroud, sider, spine, sponsor, sprit,
     staff, staker, stalwart, standby, standing rigging, stave, stay,
     stick, stiffener, stooge, strengthener, subscriber, successor,
     sugar daddy, support, suspender, suspenders, sustainer,
     sympathizer, tagtail, tail, testate, testator, testatrix,
     trainbearer, upholder, vindicator, votary, vouchsafer,
     walking stick, ward heeler, well-wisher