continent
one of the main landmasses of the globe, usually reckoned as seven in number (Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica).
a comparable landmass on another planet.
the mainland, as distinguished from islands or peninsulas.
the Continent, the mainland of Europe, as distinguished from the British Isles.
a continuous tract or extent, as of land.
Archaic. something that serves as a container or boundary.
exercising or characterized by restraint in relation to the desires or passions and especially to sexual desires; temperate.
able to control urinary and fecal discharge.
Obsolete. containing; being a container; capacious.
Obsolete. restraining or restrictive.
Obsolete. continuous; forming an uninterrupted tract, as land.
Origin of continent
1Other words from continent
- un·con·ti·nent, adjective
- un·con·ti·nent·ly, adverb
Words Nearby continent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use continent in a sentence
Still, prices across the continent are likely to be pressured amid excess supply, said Rupert Claxton, meat director at consultant Gira.
Europe is on high alert after a deadly swine virus emerges in Germany | Bernhard Warner | September 10, 2020 | FortuneThis is thought to be largely due to belts all along the northern parts of the continents where the snow has been melting much earlier due to climate change.
Slow, meandering hurricanes are often more dangerous—and they’re getting more common | Greta Moran | September 9, 2020 | Popular-ScienceMany of the continent’s highlights are in the Northern Territory, an area left unscathed during last season’s wildfires.
These hordes can cross continents, eating through crops along the way.
A single chemical may draw lonely locusts into a hungry swarm | Jonathan Lambert | September 7, 2020 | Science News For StudentsProjects like ReGen villages, the so-called “Tesla of ecovillages,” now partnering with municipalities on four continents.
Solarpunk Is Growing a Gorgeous New World in the Cracks of the Old One | Carin Ism | September 6, 2020 | Singularity Hub
Opponents of Muslims and immigrants across the continent are claiming vindication in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack.
World War II is still a long way off, but the seeds of conflict are already being sown on the continent.
It can be hard to wrap your head around the problems facing the continent because they might seem ancient to us.
But this is often seen as little more than a way of trying to defame Edward III on the continent.
The Sex Life of King Richard III's Randy Great Great Great Grandfather | Tom Sykes | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTGurira says she approaches her work with a dual-continent mindset.
Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira Vs. Boko Haram | Kristi York Wooten | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTFor good or ill, the torrent of rebellion was suffered to break loose, and it soon engulfed a continent.
The Red Year | Louis TracyThere are some other trees planted, and many small, thrifty forests, such as I had hardly seen before on the continent.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThese form one of the many island groups that hang like a fringe or festoon on the skirt of the continent of Asia.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton WadeThence they have spread all over the continent of South America, and have proved of more real value to it than its mines.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil | Maria GrahamIt is extensively used in the manufacture of cigars, and on the continent it frequently realizes as much as 5s.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
British Dictionary definitions for continent (1 of 3)
/ (ˈkɒntɪnənt) /
one of the earth's large land masses (Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, North and South America, and Antarctica)
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
obsolete
mainland as opposed to islands
a continuous extent of land
Origin of continent
1Derived forms of continent
- continental (ˌkɒntɪˈnɛntəl), adjective
- continentally, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for continent (2 of 3)
/ (ˈkɒntɪnənt) /
able to control urination and defecation
exercising self-restraint, esp from sexual activity; chaste
Origin of continent
2Derived forms of continent
- continence or continency, noun
- continently, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for Continent (3 of 3)
/ (ˈkɒntɪnənt) /
the Continent the mainland of Europe as distinguished from the British Isles
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for continent
[ kŏn′tə-nənt ]
One of the seven great landmasses of the Earth. The continents are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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