to hold or include within its volume or area: This glass contains water. This paddock contains our best horses.
to be capable of holding; have capacity for: The room will contain 75 persons safely.
to have as contents or constituent parts; comprise; include.
to keep under proper control; restrain: He could not contain his amusement.
to prevent or limit the expansion, influence, success, or advance of (a hostile nation, competitor, opposing force, natural disaster, etc.): to contain an epidemic.
to succeed in preventing the spread of: efforts to contain water pollution.
Mathematics. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder: Ten contains five.
to be equal to: A quart contains two pints.
Origin of contain
1250–1300;Middle Englishconte(y)nen < Anglo-Frenchcontener,Old Frenchcontenir < Latincontinēre, equivalent to con-con- + tenēre to hold (see tenet)
Related formscon·tain·a·ble, adjectivepre·con·tain, verb (used with object)un·con·tain·a·ble, adjective
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.
late 13c., from Old French contein-, stem of contenir, from Latin continere (transitive) "to hold together, enclose," from com- "together" (see com-) + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Related: Containable.
