Definitions for contain
kənˈteɪncon·tain

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. incorporate, contain, compriseverb

   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's"

2. hold, bear, carry, containverb

   contain or hold; have within

   "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water"

3. control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb, moderateverb

   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"

4. containverb

   be divisible by

   "24 contains 6"

5. contain, take, holdverb

   be capable of holding or containing

   "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon"

6. check, turn back, arrest, stop, contain, hold backverb

   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"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. containverb

   To hold inside.

2. containverb

   To include as a part.

3. containverb

   To limit through restraint.

4. containverb

   To have as an element.

5. containverb

   To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity.

   But if they can not contain, let them marry. uE00097647uE001 1 Cor. vii. 9.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To CONTAINverb

   Etymology: contineo, Latin.

   1. To hold as a vessel.2. To comprise; as a writing.

   There are many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. John, xxi. 25.

   Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture. 1 Pet. ii. 6.

   3. To restrain; to with-hold; to keep within bounds.

   All men should be contained in duty ever after, without the terrour of warlike forces. Edmund Spenser, on Ireland.

   I tell you, sirs,
   If you should smile, he grows impatient. ————
   —— Fear not, my lord, we can contain ourselves. William Shakespeare.

2. To Containverb

   To live in continence.

   I felt the ardour of my passion increase, ’till I could no longer contain. Scriblerus Club .

Webster Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Containverb

   to hold within fixed limits; to comprise; to include; to inclose; to hold

2. Containverb

   to have capacity for; to be able to hold; to hold; to be equivalent to; as, a bushel contains four pecks

3. Containverb

   to put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds

4. Containverb

   to restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity

5. Etymology: [OE. contenen, conteinen, F. contenir, fr. L. continere, -tentum; con- + tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Countenance.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Contain

   kon-tān′, v.t. to comprise, to include: (B.) to restrain, esp. the sexual appetite.—adj. Contain′able, that may be contained.—ns. Contain′ant, Contain′er. [Through Fr. from L. continēre—con, together, tenēre, to hold.]

Matched Categories

1. • Arithmetic
   • Be
   • Include
   • Restrain

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contain' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2225

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'contain' in Verbs Frequency: #129

Anagrams for contain »

1. actinon

2. cantion

How to pronounce contain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say contain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of contain in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of contain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of contain in a Sentence

1. New Cooperative:

   Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively taken our systems offline to contain the threat, and we can confirm it has been successfully contained.

2. Rudy Giuliani:

   At no time did either one of them say they wanted to contain damage, at no time did the State Department in communication with me ever relay any of that information you're talking about.

3. Zhao Lijian:

   China is firmly opposed to this, ‘Forced labor’ is the biggest lie of the century, made by persons and agencies in some Western countries including the United States, with an aim to restrict and suppress the relevant Chinese authorities and companies, and contain China's development.

4. Thomas Mahn:

   Our officers are very familiar with the many ways smugglers try to evade inspection, officers learn to think creatively about where things might be hidden because drugs can be anywhere – inside books, auto parts, spools of ribbon, crepe makers, study binders, food, statues, photo frames – if there is space inside an item it could contain something illegal.

5. White House:

   Text messages between FBI officials Peter Strzok andLisa Pagein 2016 that were obtained by Fox News on Tuesday refer to then-candidate Donald Trump as a ‘loathsome human’ and ‘an idiot.’ More than 10,000 texts between Strzok and Page were being reviewed by the Justice Department after Strzok was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe after it was revealed that some of them contained anti-Trump content. The messages were sent during the 2016 campaign and contain discussions about various candidates. … House Intelligence Committee investigators have long regarded Strzok as a key figure in the chain of events that began when the bureau, in 2016, received the infamous anti-Trump ‘dossier’ and launched a counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling in the election that ultimately came to encompass FISA surveillance of a Trump campaign associate.

Popularity rank by frequency of use