contain Hear it!

contain definition

con·tain (kən tān)

transitive verb

  1. to have in it; hold, enclose, or include the can contains tea, the list contains 50 items
  2. to have the capacity for holding
  3. to be equivalent to a gallon contains four quarts
  4. to hold back or within fixed limits; specif.,
    1. to restrain (one's feeling, oneself, etc.)
    2. to check the power, expansion, or influence of
  5. to be divisible by, esp. without a remainder 10 contains 5 and 2

Etymology: ME conteinen < OFr contenir < L continere, to hold < com-, together + tenere, to hold: see thin

intransitive verb

Archaic to restrain one's feelings

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.