contain
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con·tain
(kən-tān′)tr.v. con·tained, con·tain·ing, con·tains
1.
a. To have within; hold: a bin that contains rice.
b. To be capable of holding: These barrels contain 50 gallons.
2. To have as a component or constituent part; include: Does the soup contain meat? The poem contains many famous lines.
3.
a. To hold or keep within limits; restrain: I could hardly contain my curiosity.
b. To halt the spread or development of; check: Science sought an effective method of containing the disease.
4. To check the expansion or influence of (a hostile power or ideology) by containment.
5. Mathematics To be exactly divisible by.
[Middle English conteinen, from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre : com-, com- + tenēre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]
con·tain′a·ble adj.
Synonyms: contain, hold1, accommodate
These verbs mean to have or be able to have within. Contain means to have within or have as a part or constituent: The box contained emergency medical supplies. The book contains some amusing passages.
Hold stresses capacity for containing: The gas tank holds 15 gallons when full.
Accommodate refers to capacity for holding comfortably: The restaurant accommodates 50 customers.
These verbs mean to have or be able to have within. Contain means to have within or have as a part or constituent: The box contained emergency medical supplies. The book contains some amusing passages.
Hold stresses capacity for containing: The gas tank holds 15 gallons when full.
Accommodate refers to capacity for holding comfortably: The restaurant accommodates 50 customers.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
contain
(kənˈteɪn)vb (tr)
1. to hold or be capable of holding or including within a fixed limit or area: this contains five pints.
2. to keep (one's feelings, behaviour, etc) within bounds; restrain
3. to consist of; comprise: the book contains three different sections.
4. (Military) military to prevent (enemy forces) from operating beyond a certain level or area
5. (Mathematics) maths
a. to be a multiple of, leaving no remainder: 6 contains 2 and 3.
b. to have as a subset
[C13: from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, from com- together + tenēre to hold]
conˈtainable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
con•tain
(kənˈteɪn)v.t.
1. to hold or include within its volume or area: This glass contains water.
2. to have as contents or constituent parts; comprise; include.
3. to be capable of holding; have capacity for.
4. to keep under proper control; restrain: He could not contain his amusement.
5. to prevent or limit the advance, spread, or influence of: to contain an epidemic.
6. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder: Ten contains five twice.
7. to be equal to: A quart contains two pints.
[1250–1300; Middle English conte(y)nen < Anglo-French contener, Old French contenir « Latin continēre <con- + -tinēre <tenēre to hold (see tenet)]
con•tain′a•ble, adj.
syn: contain, hold, accommodate express the idea that something is so designed that something else can exist or be placed within it. contain refers to what is actually within a given container. hold emphasizes the idea of keeping within bounds; it refers also to the greatest amount or number that can be kept within a given container. accommodate means to contain comfortably or conveniently, or to meet the needs of a certain number. A plane that accommodates fifty passengers may be able to hold sixty, but on a given flight may actually contain only thirty.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
contain
To stop, hold, or surround the forces of the enemy or to cause the enemy to center activity on a given front and to prevent the withdrawal of any part of the enemy's forces for use elsewhere.
Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.
contain
Past participle: contained
Gerund: containing
| Imperative |
|---|
| contain |
| contain |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | contain - 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" include - have as a part, be made up out of; "The list includes the names of many famous writers" |
| 2. |  contain - contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water"include - have as a part, be made up out of; "The list includes the names of many famous writers" contain, hold, take - be capable of holding or containing; "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon" retain - hold back within; "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"; "the dam retains the water" | |
| 3. |  contain - 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"confine, limit, throttle, trammel, restrain, restrict, bound - place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of this parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your friends" conquer, inhibit, stamp down, suppress, subdue, curb - to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires" damp - restrain or discourage; "the sudden bad news damped the joyous atmosphere" mortify, subdue, crucify - hold within limits and control; "subdue one's appetites"; "mortify the flesh" abnegate, deny - deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure; "She denied herself wine and spirits" keep back, restrain, hold back, keep - keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile"; "Keep your temper"; "keep your cool" restrict - place under restrictions; limit access to; "This substance is controlled" train - cause to grow in a certain way by tying and pruning it; "train the vine" catch - check oneself during an action; "She managed to catch herself before telling her boss what was on her mind" bate - moderate or restrain; lessen the force of; "He bated his breath when talking about this affair"; "capable of bating his enthusiasm" thermostat - control the temperature with a thermostat countercheck, counteract - oppose or check by a counteraction | |
| 4. | contain - be divisible by; "24 contains 6" arithmetic - the branch of pure mathematics dealing with the theory of numerical calculations be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | |
| 5. | contain - be capable of holding or containing; "This box won't take all the items"; "The flask holds one gallon" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" contain, bear, carry, hold - contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" accommodate, admit, hold - have room for; hold without crowding; "This hotel can accommodate 250 guests"; "The theater admits 300 people"; "The auditorium can't hold more than 500 people" | |
| 6. | contain - 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" defend - be on the defensive; act against an attack |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
contain
verb
1. hold, incorporate, accommodate, enclose, have capacity for Factory shops contain a wide range of cheap furnishings.
2. include, consist of, embrace, comprise, embody, comprehend The committee contains 11 Democrats and nine Republicans.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
contain
verb2. To have the room or capacity for:
3. To have as a part:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَحْتَوييَحْتَوَى عَلَىيُسَيطِر عَلى، يَحْبِس
obsahovatovládnout
indeholderummebekæmpeholde nede
sisältää
sadržati
halda í skefjuminnihalda
含む
담고 있다
indasturėti
apvaldītietvertsaturēt
ovládnuť
vsebovati
innehålla
มี
chứa đựng
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
contain
[kənˈteɪn] vt (= hold) → contenir
[+ ingredient] → contenir
[+ information, images] → renfermer
(= control) [+ growth] → maîtriser
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
contain
vt
(= hold within itself) → enthalten; the envelope contained money → im Umschlag befand sich Geld, der Umschlag enthielt Geld
(= have capacity for: box, bottle, room) → fassen
(= control) emotions, oneself → beherrschen; tears → zurückhalten; laughter → unterdrücken; disease, inflation, sb’s power → in Grenzen halten; epidemic, flood → aufhalten, unter Kontrolle bringen; enemy → in Schach halten; (Sport) → in Schach halten; attack → abwehren; he could hardly contain himself → er konnte kaum an sich (acc) → halten
(Math) angle → einschließen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
contain
(kənˈtein) verb1. to keep or have inside. This box contains a pair of shoes; How much milk does this jug contain?
2. to control. He could hardly contain his excitement.
conˈtainer noun1. something made to contain things. He brought his lunch in a plastic container.
2. a very large sealed metal box for carrying goods on a lorry, ship etc. The ship carried twenty containers; (also adjective) a container ship, a container lorry.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
contain
→ يَحْتَوَى عَلَى obsahovat indeholde enthalten περιέχω contener sisältää contenir sadržati contenere 含む 담고 있다 bevatten inneholde zawrzeć conter содержать innehålla มี içermek chứa đựng 包含Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
contain
vt. contener; reprimir.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
contain
vt contenerEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.