continent

[kon-tn-uhnt]

noun

1. one of the main landmasses of the globe, usually reckoned as seven in number (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica).

2. a comparable landmass on another planet.

3. the mainland, as distinguished from islands or peninsulas.

4. the Continent, the mainland of Europe, as distinguished from the British Isles.

5. a continuous tract or extent, as of land.

6. Archaic.,  something that serves as a container or boundary.

adjective

1. exercising or characterized by restraint in relation to the desires or passions and especially to sexual desires; temperate.

2. able to control urinary and fecal discharge.

3. Obsolete.,  containing; being a container; capacious.

4. Obsolete.,  restraining or restrictive.

5. Obsolete.,  continuous; forming an uninterrupted tract, as land.

continent

¹

/ ˈkɒntɪnənt, ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl /

noun

1. one of the earth's large land masses (Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Antarctica)

2. 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

3. obsolete

   1. mainland as opposed to islands

   2. a continuous extent of land

continent

²

/ ˈkɒntɪnənt /

adjective

1. able to control urination and defecation

2. exercising self-restraint, esp from sexual activity; chaste

Continent

³

/ ˈkɒntɪnənt /

noun

1. the mainland of Europe as distinguished from the British Isles

continent

1. One of the seven great landmasses of the Earth. The continents are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Other Word Forms

• continental adjective
• continentally adverb
• continently adverb
• continence noun
• uncontinent adjective
• uncontinently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of continent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin continent-, stem of continēns “holding together,” present participle of continēre “to hold together, keep in position,” equivalent to con- con- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”; contain

Word History and Origins

Origin of continent¹

C16: from the Latin phrase terra continens continuous land, from continēre ; see _contain

Origin of continent²

C14: from Latin continent-, present participle of continēre; see _contain

Example Sentences

The Department of Homeland Security keeps posting images and artwork that celebrate Manifest Destiny — the idea that white people, and white people alone, saved this savage continent.

From Los Angeles Times

Kazakhstan is a huge country, the world's ninth largest by land area and spanning two continents.

From BBC

That may just be a small portion of the more than 2,000 languages estimated to be spoken across the continent but those involved in the project say they hope to expand in the future.

From BBC

The largest country in the world spans two continents and 11 time zones.

From BBC

He can sign for a European side from January and a number of the continent's elite clubs have already registered an interest in taking Guehi next summer.

From BBC