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

consist \consist"\ ko^nsi^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.
      1913 webster

            he is before all things, and by him all things
            consist.                              --col. i. 17.
      1913 webster

   2. to be composed or made up; -- followed by of.
      1913 webster

            the land would consist of plains and valleys. --t.
                                                  burnet.
      1913 webster

   3. to have as its substance or character, or as its
      foundation; to be; -- followed by in.
      1913 webster

            if their purgation did consist in words. --shak.
      1913 webster

            a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
            things which he possesseth.           --luke xii.
                                                  15.
      1913 webster

   4. to be consistent or harmonious; to be in accordance; --
      formerly used absolutely, now followed by with.
      1913 webster

            this was a consisting story.          --bp. burnet.
      1913 webster

            health consists with temperance alone. --pope.
      1913 webster

            for orders and degrees
            jar not with liberty, but well consist. --milton.
      1913 webster

   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
see also:
consisted consisting stand to consist consist of consist in 

Consisting >> C Words
Consisting, definition of term: Consisting
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