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.

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

1. Containverb

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

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

2. Containverb

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

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

3. Containverb

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

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

4. Containverb

   to restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity

   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

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. Don Sodora:

   In the typical ways to contain these types of outbreaks, you want to identify the patients very quickly. You want to make sure that people who are feverish and have the disease do not leave an area, the hemorrhagic fever viruses have a number of issues that make them particularly problematic with regard to transmission. They have this initial period when people are infected but don't show symptoms, and that's a problem.

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. Nicholas Weaver:

   All this is to saythat there is relatively high confidence that these files contain genuine NSA material, without a doubt, they’re the keys to the kingdom.

4. Stephen Kohn:

   It’s in the American public’s interest to contain more damage.

5. Wojciech Wiewiorowski:

   The EDPS often stresses that such developments usually do not contain the possibility to step back when the emergency is gone. I would like to stress that such solution should be still recognised as extraordinary.

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