Link Centre Dictionary

contain

con·tain

UK/kənˈteɪn/ US/kʌˈnteɪn/ fairly common

verb

1.

include or contain; have as a component

  • “A totally new idea is comprised in this paper”
  • “The record contains many old songs from the 1930”
Synonyms
2.

contain or hold; have within

  • “The jar carries wine”
  • “The canteen holds fresh water”
  • “This can contains water”
Synonyms
3.

lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits

  • “moderate your alcohol intake”
  • “hold your tongue”
  • “hold your temper”
  • “control your anger”
Synonyms
4.

be divisible by

  • “24 contains 6”
5.

be capable of holding or containing

  • “This box won”
  • “;”
Synonyms
6.

hold back, as of a danger or an enemy; check the expansion or influence of

  • “Arrest the downward trend”
  • “Check the growth of communism in South East Asia”
  • “Contain the rebel movement”
  • “Turn back the tide of communism”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English, borrowed from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre (“to hold or keep together, comprise, contain”), combined form of con- (“together”) + teneō (“to hold”).

Phrases

  • contain multitudes
  • contain oneself
  • melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cell

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.