continent

continent
\ \ [14] Continent comes via Old French from Latin continēns, the present participle of continērehold together, enclose, contain’ (source of English contain). From the beginning it meant in general ‘exercising self-restraint’; of the more specific senses, ‘chaste’ developed in the 14th century and ‘able to retain urine and faeces’ apparently in the early 19th century. The word’s noun use developed from the Latin phrase terra continēnscontinuous land’ (for this sense of Latin continēre see CONTINUE). It was at first applied in the 16th century to any large continuous expanse of territory, and from the early 17th century specifically to any of the Earth’s major landmasses (the English use of ‘the Continent’ for mainland Europe is roughly contemporary with this).
\ \ Cf.CONTAIN, CONTENT, CONTINUE, COUNTENANCE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • continent — continent, ente 1. (kon ti nan, nan t ) adj. 1°   Qui observe la continence.    Substantivement. •   L exemple de la chasteté d Alexandre n a pas tant fait de continents que...., PASC. P. div. 107.    Les Continents, nom d une secte hérétique qui …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Continent — Con ti*nent, n. [L. continens, prop., a holding together: cf. F. continent. See {Continent}, a.] 1. That which contains anything; a receptacle. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The smaller continent which we call a pipkin. Bp. Kennet. [1913 Webster] 2. One… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • continent — con‧ti‧nent [ˈkɒntnənt ǁ ˈkɑːn ] noun [countable] 1. one of the seven large masses of land in the world: • the continents of Asia and Africa 2. the Continent used to refer to Western Europe not including Britain: • There is now greater co… …   Financial and business terms

  • 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. [1913 Webster] 2. Exercising restraint as to the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • continent — Ⅰ. continent [1] ► NOUN 1) any of the world s main continuous expanses of land (Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Antarctica). 2) (also the Continent) the mainland of Europe as distinct from the British Isles. ORIGIN from… …   English terms dictionary

  • Continent — In the UK the Continent (capital C) still invariably means ‘the mainland of Europe’ as distinct from the British Isles, as a geographical and cultural designation not affected by Britain s membership of the European Union. A continental breakfast …   Modern English usage

  • continent — [känt′ n ənt] adj. [OFr < L continens, prp. of continere: see CONTAIN] 1. self restrained; temperate 2. characterized by self restraint in, esp. by total abstinence from, sexual activity 3. Obs. restrictive n. 1. Rare a thing that retains or… …   English World dictionary

  • Continēnt — (v. lat.), eine Masse zusammen hängenden Landes, im Gegensatz von Insel; bes. das europäische Festland im Gegensatz von Großbritannien. Daher Continental, das Festland betreffend; so Continentalmächte, die Staaten auf dem festen Lande von Europa …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Continent — Continent, bezeichnet das feste Land, den Inseln entgegengesetzt. In Europa gebraucht man das Wort vorzüglich im Gegensatze zu Großbritannien und Irland, ebenso bei Amerika und Asien, im Gegensatze zu den diese Welttheile zahlreich umgebenden… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • Continent — Continent, das Festland, große zusammenhängende Landmasse; wir haben einen alten C.: Asien, Afrika, Europa; einen neuen: Amerika; den australischen und den antarktischen. Continental, auf einen C. bezüglich, zu ihm gehörig …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • continent — adj temperate, unimpassioned, *sober Analogous words: restrained, bridled, curbed, inhibited (see RESTRAIN): decent, *chaste, pure: self denying, self abnegating (see corresponding nouns under RENUNCIATION) Antonyms: incontinent …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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