[syn: consist, comprise]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
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
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
consist
v 1: originate (in); "The problems dwell in the social
injustices in this country" [syn: dwell, consist,
lie, 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:
consist, comprise]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
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