one of the main landmasses of the globe, usually reckoned as seven in number (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica).
a comparable landmass on another planet.
the mainland, as distinguished from islands or peninsulas.
the Continent,the mainland of Europe, as distinguished from the British Isles.
a continuous tract or extent, as of land.
Archaic. something that serves as a container or boundary.
adjective
exercising or characterized by restraint in relation to the desires or passions and especially to sexual desires; temperate.
able to control urinary and fecal discharge.
Obsolete. containing; being a container; capacious.
Obsolete. restraining or restrictive.
Obsolete. continuous; forming an uninterrupted tract, as land.
Origin of continent
1350–1400;Middle English < Latincontinent- (stem of continēns, present participle of continēre to contain), equivalent to con-con- + -tin-, combining form of ten- hold + -ent--ent
Related formsun·con·ti·nent, adjectiveun·con·ti·nent·ly, adverb
one of the earth's large land masses (Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Antarctica)
that part of the earth's crust that rises above the oceans and is composed of sialic rocks. Including the continental shelves, the continents occupy 30 per cent of the earth's surface
late 14c., "self-restraining," from Old French continent and directly from Latin continentem (nominative continens) "holding together, continuous," present participle of continere "hold together" (see contain). Meaning moved from "exercising self-restraint" to "chaste" 14c., and to bowel and bladder control 19c.
n.
"large land mass," 1550s, from continent land (mid-15c.), translating Latin terra continens "continuous land," from continens, present participle of continere (see continent (adj.)).
