continent

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒntɪnənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑntɪnənt/, /ˈkɑnt(ə)nənt/

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

continent (plural continents)

1. One of the main continuous landmasses, separated by water or geological features, on the surface of a planet, sometimes including its continental shelves and the islands on them.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXV, page 54:

     But I should turn mine ears and hear
     The moanings of the homeless sea,
     ⁠The sound of streams that swift or slow
     ⁠Draw down Æonian hills, and sow
     The dust of continents to be; […]

2. Each of the traditional main regions into which the Earth’s land surface is divided, now generally regarded as seven in number, each usually including both an extent of mainland and various conventionally associated islands, etc.
3. (obsolete in general sense) A large contiguous landmass as opposed to its islands, peninsulas, and so forth; mainland. Also specifically, the Old World continent of Europe–Asia–Africa: see the Continent.
   • 1624, John Donne, “17. Meditation”, in Deuotions upon Emergent Occasions, and Seuerall Steps in My Sicknes: […], London: Printed by A[ugustine] M[atthews] for Thomas Iones, →OCLC; republished as Geoffrey Keynes, edited by John Sparrow, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions: […], Cambridge: At the University Press, 1923, →OCLC, page 98, lines 2–3:

     No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; […]

4. (figuratively) A large connected expanse of something in general.
5. (obsolete) Any continuous tract or area of land; country, connected region.
6. (obsolete) Land (as opposed to the water), dry land.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     The carkas with the streame was carried downe, / But th’head fell backeward on the continent.

7. (obsolete) The body or mass of a celestial body such as the sun or moon.
8. (obsolete) Container, vessel, something that holds or contains something else.
9. (obsolete) Space, capacity.
10. (obsolete) The principal or essential points of something viewed collectively: sum, summary, substance.

• (continents) continent; Africa, America (North America, Central America, South America), Antarctica, Asia, Europe, Oceania ^{(Category: en:Continents)}

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

continent (comparative more continent, superlative most continent)

1. Exercising self-restraint; controlled, temperate with respect to one’s bodily needs or passions, especially sex.
   • 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. Having voluntary control over one’s urination or defecation.
3. (obsolete) Not interrupted; connected; continuous, whether in time or space.

   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.

4. (obsolete) Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing.
   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     There did I ſee that low ſpirited Swaine, [...] hight Coſtard, (Clow[ne]. O mee) ſorted and conſorted contrary to thy eſtabliſhed proclaymed Edict and continent Cannon; Which with, o with, but with this I paſſion to ſay wherewith: / Clo[wne]. With a Wench.

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower.

5. (obsolete) Containing or capable of containing.

• incontinent

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [kun.tiˈnen]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [kon.tiˈnent]

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental

• (continents) continent; Àfrica,‎ Amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Nord/‎Nord-amèrica,‎ Amèrica del Sud/‎Sud-amèrica,‎ Antàrtida,‎ Àsia,‎ Europa,‎ Oceania ^{(Category: ca:Continents) [edit]}

• “continent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “continent”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “continent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “continent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɔn.tiˈnɛnt/

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• Hyphenation: con‧ti‧nent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Borrowed from French continent, from Latin continēns.

continent n (plural continenten)

1. continent (landmass)

• werelddeel

• subcontinent

• → Indonesian: kontinen

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

continent (not comparable)

1. (chiefly medicine) continent
2. (obsolete) continent, morally restrained

• incontinent

Borrowed from Latin continentem.

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃/

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental
• sous-continent

• contenir

• Antillean Creole: kontinan
• Haitian Creole: kontinan
• → Romanian: continent

• “continent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

continent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of contineō

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

1. continent (exercising restraint)

   Antonym: incontinent

From Latin continēns.

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continent m (plural continents)

1. continent

• continental

Borrowed from Latin continens and/or from French continent.

continent n (plural continente)

1. continent

• continental
• conține