contain

[ kuhn-teyn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to hold or include within its volume or area:

   This glass contains water.

   This paddock contains our best horses.

2. to be capable of holding; have capacity for:

   The room will contain 75 persons safely.

3. to have as contents content or constituent parts; comprise; include.

   Synonyms: embrace, embody

4. to keep under proper control; restrain:

   He could not contain his amusement.

5. to prevent or limit the expansion, influence, success, or advance of (a hostile nation, competitor, opposing force, natural disaster, etc.):

   to contain an epidemic.

6. to succeed in preventing the spread of:

   efforts to contain water pollution.

7. Mathematics. (of a number) to be a multiple of; be divisible by, without a remainder:

   Ten contains five.

8. to be equal to:

   A quart contains two pints.

contain

/ kənˈteɪn /

verb

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 to prevent (enemy forces) from operating beyond a certain level or area
5. maths
   1. to be a multiple of, leaving no remainder

      6 contains 2 and 3

   2. to have as a subset

Derived Forms

• conˈtainable, adjective

Other Words From

• con·taina·ble adjective
• precon·tain verb (used with object)
• uncon·taina·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contain¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English conte(y)nen, from Anglo-French contener, Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, equivalent to con- con- + -tinēre, verb suffix of tenēre “to hold” ( tenet )

Word History and Origins

Origin of contain¹

C13: from Old French contenir, from Latin continēre, from com- together + tenēre to hold

Synonym Study

Contain, accommodate, hold, 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 passenger plane that accommodates 50 passengers may be able to hold 60, but at a given time may contain only 30.

Example Sentences

These initiation sites contain regulatory elements and provide information to the cell about when and where to transcribe each gene to make protein, and how frequently to do so at any point in time.

From Science Daily

The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said.

From Los Angeles Times

Vultures thus fulfil an important ecological role by cleaning landscapes of carrion and containing the spread of wildlife diseases.

From Science Daily

"There are EU regulations around the use of lead, but piezoelectrics are one of the last remaining mainstream technologies allowed to contain this substance because there is no high-performance alternative," Associate Professor Guerin explained.

From Science Daily

Water vapor is typically scarce, and using indoor air to drive the hydration reaction can reduce the building's humidity to an uncomfortable level while the cold outside air contains limited moisture.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• accommodate
• consist of
• enclose
• encompass
• have
• incorporate
• involve