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Continent

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What Is A Continent
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con⋅ti⋅nent

  [kon-tn-uhnt]
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–noun
1. one of the main landmasses of the globe, usually reckoned as seven in number (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica).
2. a comparable landmass on another planet.
3. the mainland, as distinguished from islands or peninsulas.
4. the Continent, the mainland of Europe, as distinguished from the British Isles.
5. a continuous tract or extent, as of land.
6. Archaic. something that serves as a container or boundary.
–adjective
7. exercising or characterized by restraint in relation to the desires or passions and esp. to sexual desires; temperate.
8. able to control urinary and fecal discharge.
9. Obsolete. containing; being a container; capacious.
10. Obsolete. restraining or restrictive.
11. Obsolete. continuous; forming an uninterrupted tract, as land.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L continent- (s. of continēns, prp. of continēre to contain ), equiv. to con- con- + -tin-, comb. form of ten- hold + -ent- -ent
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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What Is A Continent
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con·ti·nent 1   (kŏn'tə-nənt)   
n.  

  1. One of the principal land masses of the earth, usually regarded as including Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

  2. Continent The mainland of Europe. Used with the.


[Latin (terra) continēns, continent-, continuous (land), present participle of continēre, to hold together; see contain.]
con·ti·nent 2   (kŏn'tə-nənt)   
adj.  Exercising continence.

[Middle English, from Latin continēns, present participle of continēre, to restrain; see contain.]
con'ti·nent·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

continent 
1382, "self-restraining," from L. continentem (nom. continens), prp. of continere "hold together" (see contain). Meaning moved from "exercising self-restraint" to "chaste" 14c., and to bowel and bladder control 19c. Geographical sense is 1559, from continent land (1470), translating L. terra continens "continuous land" (see continue).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: con·ti·nent
Pronunciation: 'känt-&n-&nt
Function: adjective
: exercising continence —con·ti·nent·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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