continent
Pluralcontinents
Pluralcontinents
- 1One of the seven main land areas of the Earth, such as Africa, Asia, or Europe.
Like one of the biggest pieces in a giant puzzle that makes up all the land on Earth.
Africa is the second largest continent in the world.
We learned the names of all seven continents in school.
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- 2A very large area of land on a planet, with water or other natural features around it.
Millions of years ago, all the land on Earth formed one giant continent.
Scientists study how each continent slowly moves over time.
Similarlandmass
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- 3Able to control when urine or waste leaves your body.
Most children become continent by the age of four.
After the operation, he was fully continent again within a few weeks.
Oppositeincontinent
- 4Able to control your own desires and not give in to them, especially about sex.
He stayed continent during his years of training as a monk.
Even at the great feast, she was continent and ate only a little.
Similarchaste, abstinent, celibate, temperate, abstemious
Oppositeincontinent, intemperate, dissolute
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- 5
- 6The main body of land in a region, not the islands or pieces that stick out into the sea.
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- 7A stretch of connected land, like a country or region.
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- 8Dry land, not the sea or other water.
The carkas with the streame was carried downe, / But th’head fell backeward on the continent.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, continent means dry land, the ground beside the water.Note
- 9Joined together without a break, in space or in time.
They rode through three days of continent rain.
The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disjoined by sea of all that coast.
1843, John McIntosh, The Origin of the North American IndiansHere, continent means connected or joined without a break.Note
- 10Working to hold something back or stop it.
The old sea wall stood as a continent barrier against the waves.
Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.
c. 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”Here, continent means holding back or restraining yourself.Note
- 11Able to hold or keep something inside it.
The jar was continent enough to hold all the oil.
No bag he owned was continent of so many apples.
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- 12The main body or mass of something in the sky, like the sun or the moon.
Dark spots moved across the bright continent of the sun.
He drew the round continent of the moon in his notebook.
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- 13Something that holds or keeps another thing inside it.
She poured the milk into a clay continent and set it by the fire.
The chest served as a continent for the family's papers.
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- 14The amount of space something has, or how much it can hold.
The hall had continent enough for two hundred guests.
There was little continent left in the cart for more boxes.
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- 15The main points of something, taken together as a whole.
In a few lines, the letter gave the continent of all his news.
Tell me the continent of the story before you read me the whole thing.
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Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
From Latin continens, from continēre meaning "to contain."
From Latin continēre, "to contain," through Old French and Middle English.