13 results for: continent

What Is A Continent
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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
con·ti·nent    Audio Help   [kon-tn-uhnt] Pronunciation Key
–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 continéns, prp. of continére to contain), equiv. to con- con- + -tin-, comb. form of ten- hold + -ent- -ent]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
continent

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© 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
con·ti·nent 1    Audio Help   (kŏn'tə-nənt)  Pronunciation Key 
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.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
con·ti·nent 2    Audio Help   (kŏn'tə-nənt)  Pronunciation Key 
adj.   Exercising continence.


[Middle English, from Latin continēns, present participle of continēre, to restrain; see contain.]

con'ti·nent·ly adv.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
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
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
continent

adjective
1. having control over urination and defecation [ant: incontinent
2. abstaining from sexual intercourse; "celibate priests" [syn: celibate

noun
1. one of the large landmasses of the earth; "there are seven continents"; "pioneers had to cross the continent on foot" 
2. the European mainland; "Englishmen like to visit the Continent but they wouldn't like to live there" 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
continent1 [ˈkontinənt] noun
one of the great divisions of the land surface of the world — Europe, America, Australia, Asia or Africa
Arabic: قارَّه
Chinese (Simplified): 大洲
Chinese (Traditional): 大洲
Czech: světadíl
Danish: kontinent; verdensdel
Dutch: werelddeel
Estonian: maailmajagu
Finnish: maanosa
French: continent
German: der Kontinent
Greek: ήπειρος
Hungarian: világrész
Icelandic: heimsálfa
Indonesian: benua
Japanese: 大陸
Korean: 대륙
Latvian: kontinents
Lithuanian: kontinentas, žemynas
Norwegian: kontinent, verdensdel
Polish: kontynent
Portuguese (Brazil): continente
Portuguese (Portugal): continente
Romanian: continent
Russian: континент
Slovak: svetadiel
Slovenian: celina
Spanish: continente
Swedish: kontinent, världsdel
Turkish: kıta, anakara
continent2 [ˈkontinənt] noun
Europe excluding Britain
Example: We are going to the continent for our holidays.
Arabic: قارَّة أوروبا بِدون بَريطانيا
Chinese (Simplified): 欧洲大陆
Chinese (Traditional): 歐洲大陸
Czech: (pevninská) Evropa
Danish: det europæiske fastland; Kontinentet
Dutch: vasteland
Estonian: (Euroopa) mander
Finnish: mannermaa
French: Europe (continentale)
German: das (europäische) Festland
Greek: ηπειρωτική Ευρώπη, με εξαίρεση τη Μεγάλη Βρετανία
Hungarian: kontinens
Icelandic: meginland
Indonesian: Eropa tanpa Inggris
Japanese: 欧州大陸
Korean: 유럽 대륙
Latvian: Eiropas kontinents
Lithuanian: Europos žemynas
Norwegian: kontinentet
Polish: kontynent
Portuguese (Brazil): Europa continental
Portuguese (Portugal): continente
Romanian: Europa (con­tinentală)
Russian: (континентальная) Европа
Slovak: (pevninská) Európa
Slovenian: evropska celina
Spanish: Europa (continental)
Swedish: kontinenten
Turkish: Kıta Avrupası
continent [ˈkontinənt] adjective
able to control especially the bladder and/or bowel
Arabic: عَفيف، قادِر عَلى السَّيْطَرَة عَلى الأمعاء وَالمَثان
Chinese (Simplified): 克制的, 有节制的
Chinese (Traditional): 克制的, 有節制的
Czech: kontinentní, střídmý
Danish: holde sig; kontinent
Dutch: continent
Estonian: pidamisvõimeline
Finnish: pidätyskykyinen
French: continent
German: enthaltsam
Greek: εγκρατής
Hungarian: önmegtartóztató
Icelandic: sem getur haldið í sér
Indonesian: bisa mengontrol
Japanese: 自制心のある
Korean: 자제하는
Latvian: savaldīgs; saturētspējīgs
Lithuanian: susilaikantis
Norwegian: kontinent, i stand til å holde seg
Polish: panujący nad czynnościami fizjologicznymi
Portuguese (Brazil): continente
Portuguese (Portugal): continente
Romanian: con­ti­nent
Russian: контролируемый
Slovak: schopný zadržať (moč)
Slovenian: zmožen zadrževati (seč)
Spanish: continente
Swedish: kontinent, återhållsam
Turkish: kendini tutabilen
See also: continental breakfast, continental shelf

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
continent    Audio Help   (kŏn'tə-nənt)  Pronunciation Key 
One of the seven great landmasses of the Earth. The continents are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Continent

Con"ti*nence\, Continency \Con"ti*nen*cy\, n. [F. continence, L. continentia. See Continent, and cf. Countenance.]

1. Self-restraint; self-command.

He knew what to say; he knew also, when to leave off, -- a continence which is practiced by few writers. --Dryden.

2. The restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; the act or power of refraining from indulgence of the sexual appetite, esp. from unlawful indulgence; sometimes, moderation in sexual indulgence.

If they [the unmarried and widows] have not continency, let them marry. --1 Cor. vii. 9 (Rev. Ver. ).

Chastity is either abstinence or continence: abstinence is that of virgins or widows; continence, that of married persons. --Jer. Taylor.

3. Uninterrupted course; continuity. [Obs.] --Ayliffe.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Continent

Con"ti*nent\, a. [L. continens, -entis, prop., p. pr. of continere to hold together, to repress: cf. F. continent. See Contain.]

1. Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing. [Obs.] --Shak.

2. Exercising restraint as to the indulgence of desires or passions; temperate; moderate.

Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower. --Shak.

3. Abstaining from sexual intercourse; exercising restraint upon the sexual appetite; esp., abstaining from illicit sexual intercourse; chaste.

My past life

Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true,

As I am now unhappy. --Shak.

4. Not interrupted; connected; continuous; as, a continent fever. [Obs.]

The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disoined by sea of all that coast. --Berrewood.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

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