continent

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See also: Continent and continnent

English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkɑntɪnənt/, /ˈkɑntɪnɛnt/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from Latin continēntem, noun use of present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

Noun[edit]

continent (plural continents)

  1. Each of the main continuous land-masses on the earth's surface, now generally regarded as seven in number, including their related islands, continental shelves etc.
  2. (obsolete in general sense) A large contiguous landmass considered independent of its islands, peninsulas etc. Specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa. See the Continent.
  3. (obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water).
Hyponyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English contynent, from Old French continent, from Latin continentem (“continuous; holding together”), present participle of continēre (“to contain”).

Adjective[edit]

continent (comparative more continent, superlative most continent)

  1. Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one's bodily needs or passions, especially sex, urination and/or defecation.
    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
      Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.
    • 1926, T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, New York: Anchor, published 1991, page 219:
      Their strength was the strength of men geographically beyond temptation: the poverty of Arabia made them simple, continent, enduring.
    • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 119:
      A celibate himself, he was of the opinion that marriage was something of a concession to human frailty, to save from fornication those who could not be continent, so it was better to marry than to burn with lust.
  2. Not interrupted; connected; continuous.
    a continent fever
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:
      Affrike and Europe bordering on your land,
      And continent to your Dominions: […]
    • 1843, John McIntosh, The Origin of the North American Indians:
      The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disjoined by sea of all that coast.
  3. (obsolete) Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
Antonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

continent m (plural continents)

  1. continent

Related terms[edit]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˌkɔn.tiˈnɛnt/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: con‧ti‧nent
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

Etymology 1[edit]

Borrowed from French continent, from Latin continēns.

Noun[edit]

continent n (plural continenten)

  1. continent (landmass)
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • → Indonesian: kontinen

Etymology 2[edit]

Ultimately from Latin continēns. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Adjective[edit]

continent (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly medicine) continent
  2. (obsolete) continent, morally restrained
Inflection[edit]
Inflection of continent
uninflected continent
inflected continente
comparative —
positive
predicative/adverbial continent
indefinite m./f. sing. continente
n. sing. continent
plural continente
definite continente
partitive continents
Related terms[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

continent m (plural continents)

  1. continent

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

continent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of contineō

Middle French[edit]

Adjective[edit]

continent m (feminine singular continente, masculine plural continens, feminine plural continentes)

  1. continent (exercising restraint)
    Antonym: incontinent

Occitan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin continēns.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

continent m (plural continents)

  1. continent

Related terms[edit]

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Latin continens and/or from French continent.

Noun[edit]

continent n (plural continente)

  1. continent

Declension[edit]

Declension of continent
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) continent continentul (niște) continente continentele
genitive/dative (unui) continent continentului (unor) continente continentelor
vocative continentule continentelor

Related terms[edit]

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