contain

contain
—containable, adj.
/keuhn tayn"/, v.t.
1. to hold or include within its volume or area: This glass contains water. This paddock contains our best horses.
2. to be capable of holding; have capacity for: The room will contain 75 persons safely.
3. to have as contents or constituent parts; comprise; include.
4. to keep under proper control; restrain: He could not contain his amusement.
5. to prevent or limit the expansion, influence, success, or advance of (a hostile nation, competitor, opposing force, natural disaster, etc.): to contain an epidemic.
6. to succeed in preventing the spread of: efforts to contain water pollution.
7. Math. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder: Ten contains five.
8. to be equal to: A quart contains two pints.
[1250-1300; ME conte(y)nen < AF contener, OF contenir < L continere, equiv. to con- CON- + tenere to hold (see TENET)]
Syn. 1. CONTAIN, ACCOMMODATE, HOLD, express the idea that something is so designed that something else can exist or be placed within it. CONTAIN refers to what is actually within a given container. HOLD emphasizes the idea of keeping within bounds; it refers also to the greatest amount or number that can be kept within a given container. ACCOMMODATE means to contain comfortably or conveniently, or to meet the needs of a certain number. A passenger plane that ACCOMMODATES 50 passengers may be able to HOLD 60, but at a given time may CONTAIN only 30. 3. embody, embrace.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • contain — contain, hold, accommodate denote to have or be capable of having within. To contain is to have within or to have as an element, fraction, or part; to hold is to have the capacity to contain or to retain; thus, a bookcase that holds (is capable… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Contain — Con*tain , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Contained}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Containing}.] [OE. contenen, conteinen, F. contenir, fr. L. continere, tentum; con + tenere to hold. See {Tenable}, and cf. {Countenance}.] 1. To hold within fixed limits; to comprise;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Contain — may refer to: Container (disambiguation) Containment (disambiguation) See also All pages beginning with Contain All pages with titles containing contain* Content (disambiguation) Include (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • Contain — Con*tain , v. i. To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity. [1913 Webster] But if they can not contain, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • contain — [v1] include, hold accommodate, be composed of, comprehend, comprise, consist of, embody, embrace, enclose, encompass, have, have capacity for, hold, incorporate, involve, seat, subsume, take in; concepts 112,736,742 Ant. exclude contain [v2]… …   New thesaurus

  • contain — [kən tān′] vt. [ME conteinen < OFr contenir < L continere, to hold < com , together + tenere, to hold: see THIN] 1. to have in it; hold, enclose, or include [the can contains tea, the list contains 50 items] 2. to have the capacity for… …   English World dictionary

  • contain — I (comprise) verb be composed of, be compounded of, be constituted of, be formed of, capere, comprehendere, consist of, embody, embrace, enfold, envelop, hold, include, incorporate, number, reckon among, subsist of associated concepts: containing …   Law dictionary

  • contain — late 13c., from O.Fr. contein , stem of contenir, from L. continere (transitive) to hold together, enclose, from com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + tenere to hold (see TENET (Cf. tenet)). Related: Containable …   Etymology dictionary

  • contain — ► VERB 1) have or hold within. 2) control or restrain. 3) prevent (a problem) from becoming worse. DERIVATIVES containable adjective. ORIGIN Latin continere, from tenere to hold …   English terms dictionary

  • contain — [[t]kənte͟ɪn[/t]] ♦♦ contains, containing, contained 1) VERB: no cont If something such as a box, bag, room, or place contains things, those things are inside it. [V n] The bag contained a Christmas card... [V n] Factory shops contain a wide… …   English dictionary

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