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 /

adjective

1. able to control urination and defecation
2. exercising self-restraint, esp from sexual activity; chaste

Continent

²

/ ˈkɒntɪnənt /

noun

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

continent

³

/ 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

/ kŏn′tə-nənt /

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

Derived Forms

• ˈcontinently, adverb
• ˈcontinence, noun
• continental, adjective
• ˌcontiˈnentally, adverb

Other Words From

• un·conti·nent adjective
• un·conti·nent·ly 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

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

Origin of continent²

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

Example Sentences

Moore questioned whether "the feudal spirit will be ever revived on the Western Continent again," describing it as "a social and political authority founded upon the subjugation of a weaker, by a more powerful race."

From Salon

Shackleton never made it, however, struck down by heart failure in the Port of Grytviken on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia, the last stop before reaching the White Continent.

From BBC

It brings the number of known nesting sites around the White Continent to 66.

From BBC

The berg is being ground down by the warmer air and surface waters it's encountering as it drifts slowly away from the White Continent.

From BBC

I flew to Ushuaia, Argentina, and boarded the Hurtigruten Expeditions MS Fridtjof Nansen for a 10-day cruise down to Antarctica in late December and arrived in the White Continent just before the new year.

From Seattle Times